The fate of former Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, whose conviction under the Public Official Election Act was overturned on appeal in March, will be decided by the Supreme Court’s full bench.

The Supreme Court announced the decision Tuesday. 

Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae reportedly made the call after listening to the opinions of the other Supreme Court justices and considering the seriousness of the case, as well as the level of public interest.

Lee was first brought to trial in September 2022 on accusations of lying during a media interview in violation of the election law when he said he did not know Kim Moon-ki, a former executive of a development company behind a controversial development project.

The former party leader, who is now running for president, was initially found guilty but the appellate court overturned his conviction last month and the prosecution appealed the verdict.

The Supreme Court had assigned the case to a four-member bench earlier in the day.