A parliamentary committee has approved a change to the election law that would see Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung acquitted of spreading false information during the 2021 presidential campaign.

The National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee on Wednesday gave the green light to the bill after members of the Democratic Party and the Rebuilding Korea Party voted in favor of it in the face of opposition from the People Power Party. 

If the bill becomes law, Article 250 of the Public Official Election Act will no longer prohibit candidates from making false statements about their behavior via speeches and broadcasts. 

The move came in the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent decision to reverse the appellate court’s not guilty verdict for Lee and remand the case back for a retrial. 

Lee was previously convicted of violating the election law by making false statements during the 2021 presidential campaign regarding land development projects.

If the bill is passed at a plenary session and later promulgated, Lee will avoid punishment.