ISTANBUL

A South Korean court on Wednesday acquitted opposition leader Lee Jae-myung in a so-called "lying case," clearing the way for his potential run in the next presidential election.

Lee, the leader of the Democratic Party, was originally sentenced to a one-year suspended prison term for allegedly making false statements during his 2022 presidential campaign, in violation of South Korea’s election laws.

After the Seoul High Court overturned the ruling, Lee said it proved the case was politically motivated and criticized the waste of energy and public resources.

Under South Korean law, politicians convicted of election law violations are barred from running for office for five years.

Lee is seen as a likely front-runner in the elections if the impeachment of suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol is upheld by the Constitutional Court.

Yoon was impeached by parliament for his Dec. 3 bid to impose martial law. If the top court upholds the impeachment, presidential polls are due within two months of the ruling.

Before the martial law scandal, Yoon's five-year term was set to end in 2027.

Lee narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential race, garnering 47.8% of the vote compared to 48.6% for Yoon.

In 2024, Lee survived an assassination attempt after being stabbed in the neck during a public event.​​​​​​​