A South Korean appeals court announced Monday that it will indefinitely postpone President Lee Jae-myung’s trial on election law charges, citing constitutional protections for sitting presidents. The decision effectively puts on hold legal proceedings stemming from accusations that Lee made false statements during his 2022 presidential campaign.

The Seoul High Court had originally scheduled a hearing for June 18 but confirmed that it would be delayed without setting a new date. The court referred to Article 84 of the South Korean Constitution, which shields sitting presidents from criminal prosecution while in office, as the basis for the postponement—though it offered no further elaboration.

In May, before Lee took office, the Supreme Court found that he had violated election laws and returned the case to the lower court for further review. However, Lee’s inauguration as president has complicated the legal timeline.

Legal scholars remain split over whether Article 84’s protections extend to trials that were already underway before a president assumed office. The National Court Administration previously stated that each court must independently decide whether to suspend or continue proceedings in such cases.

“The determination of whether Article 84 applies to a president-elect facing criminal charges rests with the individual court handling the matter,” the Court Administration said in a May statement to lawmakers.

Meanwhile, Lee’s Democratic Party, which holds a majority in the National Assembly, is reportedly advancing legislation to formally pause all legal cases involving a sitting president. The move, reported by public broadcaster KBS, is expected to face judicial scrutiny and could ultimately be reviewed by the Constitutional Court.

President Lee’s office has not commented on the postponement.