A South Korean court has sentenced main opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung to a suspended one-year prison term for lying during the previous presidential campaign when he was a candidate. If upheld, the ruling could jeopardize his bid to run for president in 2027.

The Seoul Central District Court on Friday ruled that parts of the statements he made in the campaign were false and handed him a one-year prison term, suspended for two years.

After the sentencing, Lee told reporters that he found the ruling hard to accept and will appeal to a higher court.

The head of the Democratic Party has been facing charges connected to an urban development project while he was a city mayor.

Lee is widely expected to seek to run in the 2027 presidential election. If the ruling is upheld, he will not be able to run for a certain period of time.

Lee has been on trial for several other cases. The trial is attracting a great deal of attention, as its outcome could affect the political situation ahead of the next presidential election.