The court has confirmed an indefinite delay in President Lee’s hearing over alleged violations of South Korea’s election law.
A South Korean court announced on Monday that it will indefinitely postpone the trial of President Lee Jae-myung, who faces charges of violating election law during his 2022 presidential campaign.
In May, before Lee was elected, South Korea’s Supreme Court ruled that Lee had violated election law by publicly making “false statements” during his 2022 bid and sent the case back to an appeals court for further review.
The Seoul High Court had scheduled a hearing for June 18 but confirmed on Monday that the hearing will be postponed indefinitely, with no new date set. Lee’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The court cited “Constitution Article 84” as the reason for the postponement without further explanation. Article 84 of South Korea’s Constitution states that a sitting president is “not subject to criminal prosecution while in office” for most crimes.
Legal experts remain divided on whether this protection applies to ongoing trials that began before a president took office. The National Court Administration under the Supreme Court advised in May that judges in each court handling Lee’s cases must decide whether to suspend or proceed with the trials.
“The court in charge will determine whether Article 84 of the Constitution applies to a criminal defendant elected as president,” the Administration said in a statement to a lawmaker.
Lee’s ruling Democratic Party, which controls the National Assembly, is preparing to pass a bill this week to suspend ongoing trials against the incumbent president, according to local broadcaster KBS.
Supreme Court Hearing
Legal experts say the Constitutional Court may be asked to rule on the constitutionality of the proposed legislation.