South Korean opposition leader cleared of forcing witness to commit perjury

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — 

South Korea's main absorption person Lee Jae-myung was cleared connected Monday of charges that helium forced a witnesser to perpetrate perjury, the Seoul Central District Court said, successful the latest of a bid of ineligible cases that could endanger his governmental future.

Lee thanked the tribunal aft the ruling, for "bringing backmost information and justice," arsenic his supporters cheered.

He had been accused of ordering a witnesser successful a 2019 proceedings related to an predetermination instrumentality usurpation to springiness mendacious testimony.

Lee, the person of the Democratic Party, inactive faces respective different trials, including for bribery and different charges mostly tied to a $1 cardinal spot improvement scandal.

On November 15, a tribunal convicted Lee of violating the predetermination law, handing him a one-year situation word suspended for 2 years, a punishment that, if upheld, could jeopardize his bid to tally for president successful 2027. Lee said that helium would appeal.

Last week, Lee was besides indicted connected charges that helium utilized much than $71,900 of nationalist funds for idiosyncratic purposes erstwhile helium was a governor.

Lee, who narrowly mislaid to President Yoon Suk Yeol successful the 2022 predetermination and is wide expected to question to tally again, has said determination was nary ground for the indictment and described different charges against him arsenic "political retaliation."

Any last situation condemnation oregon a good of $714.13 oregon much successful an predetermination instrumentality usurpation lawsuit would portion him of his spot successful parliament and his close to tally successful immoderate elections for the adjacent 5 years.