South Korea’s presidential race turned explosive this week as Democratic Party lawmakers accused the judiciary of political overreach. The ruling by the Supreme Court on Thursday found Lee Jae-myung guilty of spreading false information during the 2022 campaign. That decision reversed a prior acquittal by the Seoul High Court and intensified fears of judicial interference in the election. The Democratic Party reacted sharply, calling the court’s actions hasty, biased, and damaging to democratic processes. They now demand the judiciary halt all proceedings involving presidential candidates until after the June 3 vote.
Campaign official Yun Ho-jung condemned the top court’s move, describing it as a “judicial coup d’état” against a leading candidate. He argued the court’s rapid timeline violated due process and constitutional neutrality. He also urged the Seoul High Court to delay Lee’s retrial, which is scheduled to begin on May 15. That date falls just days before the official start of the campaign period, raising concerns about political fairness. The party maintains that judicial interference in the election threatens the people’s right to freely choose their leader.
The Supreme Court’s 10-2 majority ruled Lee guilty of two false statements made during his 2021 campaign. However, the court did not assign a specific penalty, leaving that decision to the lower court. If Lee receives a fine of over 1 million won, he would become ineligible to run for ten years. Under Korean law, Lee has seven days to appeal the severity of his sentence and twenty days to provide legal grounds for appeal. Until then, the final ruling cannot proceed.
Democratic Party lawmaker Jung Chung-rae warned of a possible impeachment drive against the ten justices involved. He posted online that they had staged a “judicial riot” and plotted to undermine Korean democracy. Jung added that Chief Justice Jo Hee-de must respond or face parliamentary hearings and even a tribunal. With 170 seats in the 300-member Assembly, the Democratic Party has the numbers to pursue impeachment. They see judicial interference in the election as a direct threat to constitutional order.
Lee’s campaign echoed those concerns through spokesperson Choi Soung-ah, who noted the court acted unusually fast. Choi insisted that the case raised legal questions, not partisan ones, despite the political backdrop. Meanwhile, the rival People Power Party rejected the accusations, calling them an attack on judicial independence. Party spokesperson Shin Dong-uk said the Democratic Party was holding the judiciary hostage and damaging national stability. Even so, Lee’s team continues pushing for delays, hoping to postpone any final ruling until after June 3.
