Lee Jae-myung fails to appear at court for fourth time

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea and a witness in the Daejang-dong preferential treatment case, has failed to appear in court again. The court stated it was considering compulsory measures.

The 22nd Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court began the trial of former Seongnam Urban Development Corporation Planning Headquarters Director Yoo Dong-gyu and others at 10:00 a.m. on the 31st, but the session ended in 16 minutes due to Lee’s absence. Having also failed to appear on the 21st, 24th, and 28th of last month, he was fined 3 million won and 5 million won on separate occasions.

If a witness repeatedly fails to appear without a justifiable reason, they can be detained for up to seven days or forcibly brought in. “We believe further fines will not be effective,” the court said. “Since the National Assembly guarantees immunity from arrest under the Constitution, we are assessing whether compulsory measures are feasible. With the session ongoing, the National Assembly’s consent procedure is necessary, raising questions about whether the consent request can realistically be submitted and approved.” The court will determine its next course of action if Lee does not appear for the trial on the 7th.


손준영 hand@donga.com