Lee Jae-myung's Violation of Public Official Election Act Case: Supreme Court's Reversal and the Clash Between Parties

The Supreme Court has overturned the lower court's acquittal of Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate from the Democratic Party, regarding the violation of the Public Official Election Act and sent the case back to the High Court. This decision has led to starkly contrasting responses from both ruling and opposition parties, plunging the political landscape into turmoil. The People Power Party has strongly urged Lee to resign, while the Democratic Party has labeled the Supreme Court's ruling a judicial coup and has voiced strong opposition.

Judicial Coup

Kwon Young-se, the Emergency Committee Chair of the People Power Party, held an urgent press conference on the afternoon of the 1st, stating, "Out of the 12 Supreme Court justices, 10 recognized the necessity of a guilty verdict." He expressed that the Supreme Court's decision, which intervened against the extraordinary absolution from the second trial and imposed legal consequences on Lee's remarks that distorted voter judgment, was a perfectly reasonable ruling.

He emphasized, "The candidate's remarks were not just simple mistakes but a serious matter that distorted the public’s judgment during the electoral process," urging Lee to voluntarily resign.

Floor Leader Kwon Seong-dong of the People Power Party also stated, "The Supreme Court’s ruling was entirely reasonable, based on principles and legal doctrines," demanding that Lee resign from his candidacy immediately.

Shin Dong-wook, the party's chief spokesperson, remarked, "'Defendant Lee Jae-myung' has not seen the end of his time yet," calling for a swift ruling from the Seoul High Court before the election.

Conservative Presidential Candidates Unite to Pressure Lee Jae-myung to Resign

Conservative presidential candidates have welcomed the Supreme Court's ruling and have united to pressure candidate Lee Jae-myung to resign.

Kim Moon-soo, a candidate in the People Power Party's presidential primary, argued, "If he has even a slight conscience, he should resign from his candidacy immediately." Another candidate, Han Dong-hoon, expressed respect for the "swift and just ruling," stating, "We will expel unqualified players from the arena and return falsehoods to their rightful place."

Lee Jun-seok, the candidate from the Reform Party, also urged the Democratic Party to promptly replace their candidate, saying, "It’s only a matter of time before the loss of election rights is confirmed, even if the sentence is not finalized."

In contrast, candidate Lee Jae-myung stated after a meeting in Jongno-gu, Seoul, "The ruling is completely different from what I had thought," and emphasized, "The law is the consensus of the people, and ultimately, the will of the people is the most important."

Responding to calls for his resignation, he remarked, "While political rivals may imagine all sorts of things and have their expectations, in the end, politics is done by the people. We must follow the will of the people."

Democratic Party Strongly Opposes, Labeling it 'Judicial Coup'

The Democratic Party has strongly opposed the Supreme Court's ruling and has issued sharp criticisms.

Lee Un-joo, a member of the Supreme Council, criticized, "In a democratic republic, the formal logic or complex interpretations of the judiciary cannot surpass the will of the sovereign people or the changes of the times," asserting that "Defying the majority opinion of the sovereign through unpredictable judicial judgments constitutes a judicial coup."

Jeon Hyun-hee, another Supreme Council member, said, "History will record today as 'the day judicial justice died,'" pointing out that "the Supreme Court, which has accelerated proceedings on the candidate’s trial at an unprecedented pace, ultimately responded to the manipulated investigations and coercive prosecutions by the Yoon Seok-yeol regime’s political prosecution."

Rep. Kim Byeong-gi expressed outrage, saying, "Look at these folks. The judiciary is disregarding constitutional order and attempting to seize legislative and executive powers; just wait a month," while Rep. Choi Min-hee harshly criticized, "This is a judicial coup by the insurrectionists’ friend, Cho Hee-dae. The roots of the insurrection forces are deep and wide."

With the Supreme Court's reversal ruling, the case of the public official election law violation involving candidate Lee Jae-myung will be retried at the Seoul High Court.

As this ruling comes at a critical time ahead of the presidential election, political attention is focused on its potential impact on the political landscape and the election campaign.

Image Source: Kwon Young-se, the Emergency Committee Chair of the People Power Party, held a press conference related to the Supreme Court's reversal ruling on the public official election law violation of Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party's presidential candidate, at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on May 1, 2025. / News1, Citizens watching a live broadcast of the Supreme Court’s ruling on Lee Jae-myung's violation of the Public Official Election Act at Seoul Station's waiting area on the afternoon of May 1, 2025. The Supreme Court ruled that Lee was guilty of violating the Public Official Election Act on this day. / News1, Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party, after a meeting with non-typical workers, including delivery riders and courier drivers, titled 'Creating Your Day, The Invisible Heroes,' at a pojangmacha (street food tent) in Jongno-gu, Seoul, waves goodbye as he leaves after the meeting. (Joint coverage) / News1