South Korea's opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was acquitted of perjury charges, a legal victory amid ongoing trials that could impact his political future, including a recent conviction over election law violations and allegations tied to a property scandal.
South Korea's main opposition leader, Lee Jae-myung, was acquitted on Monday of charges that he coerced a witness into committing perjury, the Seoul Central District Court announced. The case is one of several legal challenges that could impact his political career.
Following the ruling, Lee expressed gratitude to the court for "bringing back truth and justice," as his supporters celebrated.
The allegations claimed Lee had instructed a witness to give false testimony during a 2019 trial concerning an election law violation. Lee, who leads the Democratic Party, still faces multiple other legal battles, including bribery charges and accusations tied to a $1 billion property development scandal.
On November 15, a court found Lee guilty of violating election law, sentencing him to one year in prison, suspended for two years. If upheld, the sentence could jeopardise his potential bid for the presidency in 2027. Lee has stated his intention to appeal.
Additionally, Lee was indicted last week on allegations of misusing over 100 million won ($71,900) in public funds for personal expenses during his time as a governor.
Lee, who narrowly lost to President Yoon Suk Yeol in the 2022 election and is widely expected to run again, has dismissed the charges as "political retaliation" and argued there is no basis for the indictment.
Under South Korean law, any final conviction with a prison sentence or a fine of 1 million won ($714.13) or more in an election law case would disqualify him from parliament and bar him from standing in elections for five years.
South Korea’s chief trade negotiator, Yeo Han-koo, will travel to the United States from June 22 to 27 for a new round of high-level discussions aimed at resolving escalating trade tensions, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on Saturday.
South Korea on Friday pushed back against U.S. demands to sharply increase its defense budget, saying its current spending is already among the highest relative to GDP for U.S. allies.
South Korea’s new administration proposed $14.7 billion in additional spending on Thursday to boost weak domestic demand, as President Lee Jae Myung pushes economic recovery as his top priority.
North Korea launched over 10 rockets from near Pyongyang on Thursday, prompting fresh concerns in the region.
South Korea, the U.S., and Japan held their first joint air drills since President Lee Jae Myung took office, signalling security cooperation even as Seoul seeks renewed dialogue with North Korea.
Gazprom has signed new agreements with its Chinese partners to support the launch and operation of the cross-border section of the Far Eastern gas export pipeline to China.
Orkhan Nazarli, Head of Azerbaijan’s State Tax Service under the Ministry of Economy, held separate meetings with senior tax officials from Latvia and Montenegro during the 29th General Assembly of the Intra-European Organization of Tax Administrations (IOTA) in Baku.
The OIC's 51st ministerial session convenes in Istanbul to tackle pressing global and regional issues.
France has announced a €1.35 billion ($1.55 billion) investment in the debt-laden satellite company Eutelsat, becoming the company's largest shareholder. As the French finance ministry said, the move is intended to strengthen Europe’s leading satellite to compete with Elon Musk’s Starlink.
Japan has reportedly cancelled a planned high-level security meeting with the United States after Washington pressed Tokyo to increase its defense spending, according to the Financial Times.
Iranian missiles struck multiple locations across Israel and neighbouring regions early Friday morning, including a Microsoft office complex, according to emergency responders and local media reports.
Peace is no longer a dream. It is a discussion. On the streets of Baku and Yerevan, it is also a question, of trust, of foreign interests, and of who truly wants it.
A high-speed tram derailment in central Gothenburg, Sweden, has left at least eight people injured late on Thursday (19 June), after the vehicle slammed into a snack bar on Avenyn Avenue.
The 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit was held June 15–17 in Kananaskis, Alberta, under Canada’s presidency. Prime Minister Mark Carney framed the meeting around priorities of protecting communities, energy and climate security, the digital transition, and future partnerships.
The USS Nimitz is heading to the Middle East amid tensions between Israel and Iran. The U.S. aircraft carrier has a decades-long history in the region, from the 1979 hostage crisis to modern deployments, often serving as a key asset during periods of rising friction with Iran.
Orkhan Nazarli, Head of Azerbaijan’s State Tax Service under the Ministry of Economy, held separate meetings with senior tax officials from Latvia and Montenegro during the 29th General Assembly of the Intra-European Organization of Tax Administrations (IOTA) in Baku.
The OIC's 51st ministerial session convenes in Istanbul to tackle pressing global and regional issues.
Japan has reportedly cancelled a planned high-level security meeting with the United States after Washington pressed Tokyo to increase its defense spending, according to the Financial Times.
Israel announced on Saturday that it had killed senior Iranian commander Saeed Izadi, head of the Palestine Corps of Iran’s Quds Force, in a targeted strike in Qom. Izadi was accused of supporting Hamas before its October 2023 attack on Israel.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine is accelerating the development and production of interceptor drones to defend against the growing number of Iranian-made Shahed drones used by Russia in recent attacks.
Gazprom has signed new agreements with its Chinese partners to support the launch and operation of the cross-border section of the Far Eastern gas export pipeline to China.
Orkhan Nazarli, Head of Azerbaijan’s State Tax Service under the Ministry of Economy, held separate meetings with senior tax officials from Latvia and Montenegro during the 29th General Assembly of the Intra-European Organization of Tax Administrations (IOTA) in Baku.
The OIC's 51st ministerial session convenes in Istanbul to tackle pressing global and regional issues.
France has announced a €1.35 billion ($1.55 billion) investment in the debt-laden satellite company Eutelsat, becoming the company's largest shareholder. As the French finance ministry said, the move is intended to strengthen Europe’s leading satellite to compete with Elon Musk’s Starlink.
Japan has reportedly cancelled a planned high-level security meeting with the United States after Washington pressed Tokyo to increase its defense spending, according to the Financial Times.
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