South Korea’s high court delayed its first hearing on leading presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung’s election violation case until June 18, two weeks after the election date, ensuring he will be able 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 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 Wednesday.
The new date means Lee, the nominee of the opposition Democratic Party, can continue with his campaign without worrying that the high court might hand down a punishment harsh enough to disqualify him from running.
South Korea’s presidential race was rocked last week after the Supreme Court found Lee guilty of violating election law and the top court sent the case back to the high court to weigh his punishment.
That ruling had cast a shadow over Lee’s bid to become president in the June 3 election as a prison sentence or a fine exceeding 1 million won ($700) handed down before the vote would have effectively disqualified him.
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