Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung smiles as he arrives at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday, after the Seoul Central District Court acquitted him of charges of subornation of perjury. Korea Times photo by Ko Young-kwon

Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung was cleared, Monday, of charges of suborning perjury or soliciting false testimony.

The verdict marks a dramatic turnaround in his political career, as he was sentenced to a suspended jail term for a separate case just 10 days ago.

This ruling will slightly ease the legal burden on Lee, who is currently facing a total of five trials, as he remains the strongest opposition contender for the 2027 presidential election. Lee and the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) are expected to use the verdict as momentum to more actively assert that the charges against him are politically motivated and part of an effort to suppress the opposition, further solidifying the anti-government stance of the DPK's campaigns.

Lee was indicted in October last year on charges of suborning a secretary of a former mayor of Seongnam, a Gyeonggi Provincial city, over the phone to testify in his favor in a 2018 election law violation case involving him. At the time, Lee was tried for spreading false information during a televised debate for his Gyeonggi governorship election.

Prosecutors suspected that the secretary's subsequent testimony was given at Lee's request. But the DPK chief denied the prosecution's claim, stating that he only asked the secretary to testify based on what he remembered.

"Given the evidence submitted by the prosecution, it was not clearly demonstrated that Lee had the intention of suborning the secretary to commit perjury," the Seoul Central District Court said in the ruling. The court, however, fined the secretary 5 million won ($3,570).

After the verdict, Lee expressed his gratitude to the court.

"I am grateful to the judiciary for restoring truth and justice," Lee said. "Compared to the difficulties and pain Koreans go through, the problems I deal with are insignificant. I will continue to do my best to promise better lives for our people. Let's pursue politics that saves lives rather than politics that kills."

The prosecution said it will appeal the verdict of innocence given to Lee.

The charges of suborning perjury were one of the legal obstacles hindering Lee's political career and his path to the presidency. Earlier this month, a guilty verdict on his election law violation charges already dealt a serious blow to his prospects.

Lee was sentenced to one year in jail suspended for two years. If the verdict is finalized, he would be stripped of his Assembly seat and banned from running for a public post for the next 10 years. This will prevent him from running for the presidency in the 2027 election. In the 2022 election, he narrowly lost to President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The main opposition leader is currently standing trial in four other cases: corruption related to a development project in Seongnam, involvement in an illegal cash transfer of $8 million to North Korea, and embezzlement during his term as Gyeonggi Province governor.

Supporters of Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung hold banners that read "Lee Jae-myung is innocent" in front of the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

Experts said the acquittal will allow Lee to tighten his grip on the party and help strengthen his leadership.

"I think Lee would feel the burden lifted because the public tends to think that once is a mistake. The DPK will escalate attacks on prosecutors under the Yoon administration. Partisan fights will likely continue until early next year when the appellate court issues its ruling on Lee's election law violation," political commentator Park Sang-byeong said

The PPP expressed disappointment over the court's decision.

"We respect the judiciary's decision, but express disappointment. There is still a chance an appellate court may reverse the court's acquittal. In addition, the first ruling does not exempt Lee from his political and moral responsibilities." PPP spokesperson Rep. Kwak Kyu-taek said.

The PPP said it will focus on improving people's livelihood. Earlier in the day, PPP Chairman Han Dong-hoon said, "We urgently need momentum to restore the people's livelihoods and drive economic growth. If we don't act now, we could be left behind permanently."