The ruling People Power Party has demanded the Constitutional Court push back a verdict on suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment amid speculation that the ruling could come out as early as this week.
Some ruling party lawmakers claimed the impeachment verdict should not be handed down before March 26 — the date an appellate court is scheduled to rule on opposition leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung's alleged election law violation.
They seem to anticipate that a guilty verdict for Lee before Yoon's impeachment ruling could completely shift the Democratic Party’s narrative — undermining its stance of condemning Yoon as a state leader attempting a coup — as the opposition leader's legal risk increases if found guilty.
Rep. Na Kyung-won of the ruling party said Sunday that Lee's verdict should come before the Constitutional Court's verdict for Yoon, claiming that it would otherwise leave the court open to criticism for failing to maintain political impartiality.
Na, a five-term lawmaker who was formerly a judge, invoked recent precedents in which impeachment verdicts for public officials, including state auditor Choe Jae-hae, came out a month after the end of their respective trials.
The same amount of time for deliberation should be required in cases involving the impeached prime minister and president, meaning it would be preferable to have their verdicts on Thursday and on March 26, respectively, she claimed. Otherwise, the court cannot brush off concerns that the court decision "could be influenced" by liberal politicians, said Na in a Facebook post.
An impending appeals court decision to impose a fine of at least 1 million won ($690.5) on Lee, a potential presidential frontrunner, would strip him of his parliamentary seat and his right to be elected for 10 years after the ruling is finalized.
The lower court ruling in November handed Lee a suspended one-year prison sentence, which in South Korean criminal courts is considered a tougher sentence than a fine.
If the court upholds Lee’s sentence after Yoon’s impeachment ruling, it could push the main opposition party to “start a debate on whether a person carrying a risk deserves to be a presidential candidate,” an official from the ruling People Power Party told The Korea Herald on condition of anonymity when asked about Na’s comment.
The official also claimed that the court could be under pressure to deliver a guilty verdict on a likely frontrunner candidate should Yoon be removed and an early election held.
Lee was found guilty of making a false statement during a parliamentary audit in October 2021 over the rezoning of land in Gyeonggi Province and denying the fact in a media interview in December 2021 that he had played golf with a figure mired in a land corruption scandal that Lee is also suspected of being involved in. Lee went on to lose to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election.
Under the Public Official Election Act, those who publish false information with the intent to get elected to public office face punishment of up to five years in prison.
Ahead of the March 26 criminal court ruling, the Democratic Party leader twice submitted motions — in February and in early March, respectively, abiding by the Constitutional Court Act — asking the court to request the Constitutional Court rule on the constitutionality of the statute he had violated.
The Seoul High Court has yet to announce that it has proceeded with the motion. Once the request proceeds, Lee's criminal trial will be put on hold indefinitely until the Constitutional Court's ruling.
Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok of the ruling party claimed Wednesday that Lee appeared to be using the motion to try to delay his verdict.
The Democratic Party has denied the accusation. Rep. Lee Geon-tae of the Democratic Party said in a statement Wednesday that Lee was legitimately exercising his right to defense.
The prosecution sought a two-year prison sentence against Lee as the high court trial wrapped up in February.
Meanwhile, the latest poll by the Korea Society Opinion Institute indicated on Monday that only 33.5 percent of respondents expected the court to uphold Lee's sentence, which would deprive him of his right to be elected, whereas a combined 55.2 percent expected that Lee would retain his eligibility. A separate poll by Realmeter suggested Monday that 46.9 percent of the public believes Lee will be the frontrunner in the next election.
Alongside his alleged election law violations, Lee faces a range of criminal charges, such as subornation of perjury and breach of trust in relation to a high-profile land corruption scandal in southern Gyeonggi Province.
consnow@heraldcorp.com
