Court Delays Trial for President Lee Jae-myung Amid Ongoing Legal Issues

The trial regarding the alleged misuse of corporate credit cards by President Lee Jae-myung has been indefinitely postponed. This marks the third instance of trial delays since his election, following the postponements of two other criminal cases involving violations of election laws and the Daejang-dong case.

On July 1, during the fourth preparatory hearing at the Suwon District Court, presiding judge Song Byeong-hoon stated that the court would 'tentatively set a date for the trial of defendant Lee Jae-myung.' This means that the trial schedule will not be finalized immediately and will be determined at a later date.

Previously, during a preparatory hearing on June 27, the judge had indicated that the current session would be the last before moving to the main trial. However, following Lee's election as president, the court decided to postpone the proceedings.

The judge noted, 'Defendant Lee Jae-myung has been elected as the President of South Korea in the June 2025 elections, holding the position of head of state and representing the nation. To ensure the continuity of his constitutional duties in governance, the trial date will be set later.'

In contrast, the court plans to proceed with the trial for co-defendants Jeong and Bae as scheduled. The judge expressed concerns that if the trial were to be delayed alongside Lee's, it could lead to significant delays in justice, potentially affecting witness recollections and the discovery of factual truths.

While the court did not provide explicit legal grounds for its decision, it appears to align with Article 84 of the Constitution, which states that 'the President shall not be subject to criminal prosecution while in office.' However, the scope of this immunity has been a topic of debate, with differing opinions on whether it includes ongoing trials or only applies to prosecutions.

Previously, courts handling Lee's election law and Daejang-dong cases ruled that ongoing trials fall under the scope of this immunity, leading to their suspension last month.

The law firm representing President Lee submitted a request to the court on June 29, arguing that the preparatory hearing should also be included under the scope of immunity. However, the court maintained that the preparatory procedures would continue as planned, stating that the rules governing trial procedures do not necessarily apply to preparatory hearings.

The court is also overseeing the so-called 'Ssangbangwool North Korea remittance case' involving Lee, with a preparatory hearing scheduled for July 22. This case involves allegations that Lee, during his tenure as the Governor of Gyeonggi Province, misused corporate credit cards for personal expenses, totaling approximately 1.06 billion won from July 2018 to October 2021. The prosecution has charged Lee and others without detention, while his wife, Kim Hye-kyung, received a deferred prosecution decision. Lee has denied all allegations related to this case.