ISTANBUL 

South Korean presidential frontrunner Lee Jae-myung's first hearing on election law violation allegations was delayed until after the election on Wednesday by the Seoul High Court, reported Seoul-based Yonhap News.

The court said it postponed the hearing from May 15 to June 18 "in order to guarantee a fair electioneering opportunity to the defendant, who is a presidential candidate, and eliminate controversies about the fairness of the trial," adding that the court has "maintained and will continue to maintain the position of conducting trials in an independent and fair manner only in accordance with the Constitution and the law, without any internal or external influence or interference."

The opposition Democratic Party (DP) earlier urged the court to postpone the trial until after the country’s upcoming snap election.

The case centers on allegations that Lee, a former presidential candidate in 2022, made false statements during that campaign.

A conviction with a fine of 1 million won (approx. $717) or more would bar him from seeking office for five years. With the snap election approaching, Lee remains the frontrunner in national polls following the removal of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, which triggered the vote.  

Ruling People Power Party's efforts to unify 2 candidates fail

Separately, the People Power Party (PPP) presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo and independent candidate, former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, met Wednesday to explore the possibility of a unification of their candidacies, but no agreement was reached in the end.

Kim said there was "no meaningful progress" made during the discussion, while Han's spokesperson, Lee Jung-hyun, told reporters that "no specific agreement was reached."

Kim stated Tuesday that the PPP has effectively abandoned him and failed to recognize him as its official candidate, after the party formed a task force to explore unifying his candidacy with Han.​​​​​​​