A COURT delayed its first hearing on sentencing leading presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung over a legal violation until after the upcoming June 3 election, enabling him to run for the country’s top office.
The Seoul High Court had initially set May 15 as the first hearing date, but it pushed back the date to June 18 to ensure that Lee “has an equal opportunity for election campaigning and to eliminate any controversy regarding the fairness of the trial,” the court said in a text message yesterday.
The Democratic Party described the move to delay the hearing as a “natural decision,” according to a statement on its website.
“It is fortunate that the court has now made a judgment that is in line with the principles of popular sovereignty and common sense,” the party said.
According to a poll conducted by JoongAng Ilbo newspaper and Gallup Korea between May 3-4, Lee still leads the race with 47% support, followed by former acting president and independent candidate Han Duck-soo with 23%.
The ruling People Power Party’s Kim Moon-soo has 13% backing while Lee Jun-seok of the Reform Party has 4% support. — Bloomberg
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