ROK's court denies arrest permission

Rejection of warrant gives opposition leader chance to contest next election

A Seoul court on Wednesday rejected an arrest warrant for the leader of the Republic of Korea's main opposition party, giving the former presidential candidate a chance to steer the party's fight in the nation's next general election in 2024.

The Seoul Central District Court denied the arrest warrant sought for Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Lee Jae-myung, who has been accused of breach of trust, bribery and other charges related to a real estate development project and involvement in an unauthorized remittance to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The decision was announced in the early hours of Wednesday after a questioning for over nine hours the previous day.