South Korea Opposition Leader Says Cleared In Election Law Case

Muhammad Irfan Published March 26, 2025 | 04:00 PM

Seoul, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Mar, 2025) South Korea's opposition leader Lee Jae-myung said Wednesday he had been cleared by a court in an election law violations case, with his acquittal paving the way for a future presidential run.

"I am grateful to the court for making a sound judgment based on truth and justice," Lee said in front of cheering supporters outside the court, slamming the government for "wasting public resources" on trying to prosecute him.

The Seoul High Court overturned a previous ruling, saying that Lee, who leads the main opposition Democratic Party, was not guilty of making false statements in violation of the Public Official Election Act.

Lee said it was "absurd that so much energy and national resources had to be spent to reach what should have been an obvious outcome.

"If the prosecution and this administration had devoted the same effort they used to fabricate evidence and manipulate cases against Lee Jae-myung to preventing wildfires or improving people's lives, how much better off we might be," said Lee.

South Korea is battling some of its worst ever wildfires in the southeast, which have killed at least 24 people.

The verdict comes four months after the Seoul Central District Court handed Lee a one-year jail term, suspended for two years, finding him guilty, which Lee appealed immediately.