The People Power Party criticized the ruling that came out as 'not guilty' in the appeal trial of Lee Jae-myung, the representative of the Democratic Party, regarding the violation of the Public Official Election Act, saying, “This is a verdict that is incomprehensible both legally and commonly.” on the 27th.
Kwon Young-se, the chairperson of the emergency committee, said at the party's emergency meeting that day about the appeal trial result of Lee’s case from the previous day (26th), “This is a verdict that is incomprehensible both legally and commonly, and it is a result that the public can hardly accept.”
He noted, “The trust in the judicial system is based on rationality and predictability, and yesterday's verdict undermined all these foundations,” and criticized, “While the independence of the judiciary is undoubtedly a very important value, if rulings are influenced by the judge's inclinations, it will be the judiciary itself that undermines the trust and independence of the courts.”
He then addressed the points regarding the violations of the election law in detail during the appeal trial.
Chairperson Kwon noted, “All the issues in this appeal trial are serious matters that had a tremendous impact on voter judgment in the last presidential election. The judgment of the court that these did not have a significant impact is completely wrong. The statement that 'I do not know Minister Kim Moon-ki' is a complete lie, and despite the context of the entire statement needing to be considered, the court examined it with a microscope and judged it as not guilty based on a minor detail.”
He added, “Furthermore, admitting that the enlarged photo was manipulated and acquitting the golf remark raises doubts about the interpreters’ comprehension.”
He continued, “The Baekhyeon-dong case, which requires meticulous examination, was examined as if it were through a telescope, with only the gist of the statements being skimmed, and was deemed not guilty,” adding, “To judge the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's threatening remarks as an opinion is truly speechless.”
The People Power Party pointed out that the outcome of this appeal trial could render the 'crime of publicizing false facts' under the election law ineffective. Chairperson Kwon said, “If this ruling is maintained as is, going forward, anyone can justify any lies made during the election process as mere exaggerated opinions without facing punishment, and ultimately, the relevant regulation will effectively become obsolete without constitutional review.”
He added, “Ultimately, the errors of the court must be corrected in court,” urging the Supreme Court for a prompt ruling.
Kweon Seong-dong, the floor leader, reiterated the claim that the appeal trial reflected the political inclinations of the judges. He said, “Coincidentally, all those who issued favorable rulings for the Democratic Party in cases involving politicians belong to the Our Law Research Group,” asserting, “It is reasonable to view the rumors that a cartel of the Our Law Research Group exists as having been substantiated to this extent.”
He continued, “This is why trust in judicial rulings is lacking,” adding, “I hope the Supreme Court corrects this as soon as possible.”
Meanwhile, on the previous day, the Seoul High Court's 6-2 Criminal Division overturned the first trial's ruling, which sentenced Lee to one year in prison with a two-year probation for the violation of the election law and declared him not guilty. The court ruled that the allegations against him for ▲ publicly declaring false facts by saying 'he never golfed with Minister Kim Moon-ki, who was a practical person involved in the development project during his tenure as mayor of Seongnam' and ▲ publicly declaring false facts saying 'he was threatened by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to change the use of the site for the Korean Food Research Institute in Baekhyeon-dong' were considered as 'awareness' or 'expression of opinion' and deemed not as publicizing false facts.