Lee Jae Myung's trial on payments to North Korea postponed

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Lee Jae Myung's trial on payments to North Korea postponed

Published: 22 Jul. 2025, 14:38 Updated: 22 Jul. 2025, 19:26

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during an emergency meeting on rainfall damage at a community center in Sancheong, South Gyeongsang, on July 21. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

A court on Tuesday delayed proceedings in President Lee Jae Myung’s trial over suspicions of unauthorized payments to North Korea, effectively pausing all five criminal cases that began before he took office.

The Suwon District Court said during the seventh preparatory hearing on Tuesday that “no trial date will be scheduled” for Lee, who stands accused alongside former Gyeonggi Vice Gov. Lee Hwa-young of third-party bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.

“The trial will not proceed so that the president can concentrate on the duties designated to him under the Constitution and to ensure continuity in state affairs,” the court explained.

With Tuesday’s court decision, all five trials involving Lee — a remanded trial for violating the Public Official Election Act, an appeals trial for perjury solicitation, the first trials related to the Daejang-dong, Wirye, Baekhyeon-dong and Seongnam FC allegations, the first trial over unauthorized payments to North Korea and the first trial over the misuse of corporate credit cards — have been suspended.

President Lee Jae Myung speaks to aides during a weekly meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on July 22. [NEWS1]

The decision takes into account Article 84 of the Constitution, which states that the president shall not be prosecuted during their term of office unless charged with insurrection or foreign aggression.

Lee’s defense team submitted a formal opinion to the court on July 4 requesting a delay in trial proceedings on these grounds.

Earlier this month, the same Suwon court postponed Lee’s trial over the alleged misuse of Gyeonggi government corporate credit cards for similar reasons.

On June 9 and 10, the Seoul High Court and the Seoul Central District Court, which are handling separate cases related to election law violations, urban development scandals in Daejang-dong, Baekhyeon-dong and Wirye and a Seongnam FC sponsorship scandal, also postponed hearings citing Article 84.

The appeals trial for his alleged perjury solicitation case, which was supposed to begin on May 20, has also been left without a new hearing date since the court reclassified it as “to be scheduled later.”

Lee Jae Myung was indicted without detention in June of last year over accusations that he arranged for Ssangbangwool Group to send $8 million to North Korea during his term as Gyeonggi governor. He faces charges of third-party bribery, violation of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act and the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act.

Lee Hwa-young was also indicted on additional charges of third-party bribery. In December of last year, he was sentenced to seven years and eight months in prison by an appellate court for receiving bribes from Ssangbangwool and for violating the foreign exchange law in connection with the North Korea payments.

Former Gyeonggi Vice Gov. Lee Hwa-young speaks during a Legislation and Judiciary Committee hearing at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Oct. 2, 2024. [NEWS1]

Despite the delay in Lee Jae Myung’s trial, proceedings will continue for Lee Hwa-young and former Ssangbangwool Chairman Kim Seong-tae, who allegedly offered bribes. Their first hearing is scheduled for Sept. 9.

During Tuesday’s session, Lee Hwa-young’s legal team called for a suspension of the trial, citing the absence of Bae Sang-yoon, chairman of KH Group, who remains abroad.

In a recent media interview, Bae claimed the payments to North Korea were unrelated to the Gyeonggi provincial government.

“It is problematic to proceed with the trial relying solely on Kim Seong-tae’s testimony without questioning Bae,” Lee Hwa-young’s lawyer said.

The court responded, “It is unclear whether Bae Sang-yoon will return to Korea to testify,” but added, “We are fully aware of the importance of ensuring the defendants’ right to a fair trial. We will assess the situation as it unfolds and make decisions accordingly.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHOI MO-RAN [[email protected]]