The now-defunct minor opposition party said Sunday it is seeking to overturn a high-profile constitutional court ruling last month that ordered its disbandment.
In the first ruling of its kind, the Constitutional Court ordered the dissolution of the Unified Progressive Party on Dec. 19, saying it posed threats to South Korean democracy.
A former UPP lawmaker, meanwhile, had been standing a separate criminal trial over allegations that he planned to overthrow the South Korean government in case of an inter-Korean war.
In a ruling that apparently contradicts the Constitutional Court’s, however, the Supreme Court last week partially sided with Lee Seok-ki, delivering a not-guilty verdict on charges that he plotted a rebellion. Instead, he was found guilty of encouraging other members to do so.
The Supreme Court also said there was no proof that a secret organization in which the 53-year-old and other UPP members convened to discuss insurgency plans existed.
Oh Byeong-yun, a former UPP floor leader, noted the discrepancy and said he was consulting a team of attorneys to determine when and how to ask for a retrial.
The South Korean Constitutional Court currently does not allow appellate trials.
While some experts said the court might make an exception in this case, others have been pessimistic.
“It was imprudent of the Constitutional Court to deliver a ruling before the Supreme Court’s decision,” said Lim Ji-bong, a law professor at Sogang University. “But it’s very unlikely that the court would accept a request for retrial.” (Yonhap)
