Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) leader Lee Jae-myung was sentenced to a year in prison, suspended for two years, by the Seoul Central District Court on Nov. 15 for violating the Public Official Election Act. This verdict, coming two years and two months after Lee’s indictment in September 2022, is the first ruling among the four trials he currently faces.
If the sentence is upheld by the Supreme Court, Lee would be disqualified from running in the next presidential election, and the DPK would be required to return 43.4 billion won in election subsidies to the National Election Commission.
In its ruling, the court noted that “disseminating false information to voters during the election process can distort and damage public opinion.” It also emphasized the wide reach of Lee’s statements, which were broadcast and widely circulated, stating, “The gravity of the offense is substantial given the public’s interest in the allegations against the defendant.”
The charges stem from statements Lee made during the last presidential election, where he denied knowing the late Kim Moon-ki, then head of development at Seongnam Development Corporation, during his time as Seongnam mayor—despite evidence to the contrary. Lee also falsely claimed during a National Assembly audit that pressure from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport led to the rezoning of Baekhyeon-dong land for development.
The court ruled that these statements by Lee constituted false information.
