Disciplinary action sought against opposition leader Lee as lawyer

Prosecutors have requested the national bar association consider disciplinary action against opposition leader Lee Jae-myung as a lawyer, citing multiple criminal charges he is standing trial on, sources said Monday.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office filed the application on Dec. 14 with the Korean Bar Association, saying Lee’s dignity as a lawyer had been damaged due to the charges, the legal sources said

Lee, the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party and a lawyer by occupation, has been indicted and standing trial on five different cases, including those on corruption charges involving two real estate development projects launched under his former term as the mayor of Seongnam, south of Seoul.

The Attorney-at-Law Act prohibits lawyers from any act that damages their dignity and requires district prosecution office chiefs to file for the bar association’s disciplinary action against lawyers accused of violating the act.

The bar association’s disciplinary committee has the authority to impose penalties, ranging from a reprimand up to permanent expulsion, which automatically revokes the lawyer’s license.

Even if the committee officially initiates its disciplinary procedure for Lee, the main review process is not expected to commence until final court rulings on his cases.