Court delays Lee's first hearing

South Korea's high court delayed its first hearing on sentencing leading presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung over a legal violation until after the upcoming election, enabling him to run for the country's top office.

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The Seoul High Court had initially set May 15 as the first hearing date, but it pushed back the date to June 18 to ensure that Mr Lee “has an equal opportunity for election campaigning and to eliminate any controversy regarding the fairness of the trial,” the court said in a text message yesterday.

The new date means Mr Lee, the nominee of the opposition Democratic Party, can continue his campaign in the June 3 election without a risk of the high court handing down a punishment harsh enough to disqualify him from running.