Prosecutors Request Arrest Warrant for Lee Jae-myung... Democratic Party "Will Fight Resolutely"

"Party-Level Discussion on Response Measures"
Arrest Consent Bill Expected to Be Submitted to the National Assembly Next Week
Some Party Members Say "Warrant Review Is Necessary"... Voting Outcome Unpredictable

[Asia Economy reporters Naju-seok and Park Jun-i] Park Hong-geun, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said on the 16th regarding the prosecution's request for an arrest warrant for Representative Lee Jae-myung, "The Democratic Party will resolutely (堅決, meaning strong-willed) fight together with the people and party members from the standpoint of common sense."

At the policy coordination meeting held at the National Assembly that day, after the news of the arrest warrant for Representative Lee was delivered, Park said in an additional statement, "It is truly deplorable," adding, "The prosecution has conducted an outrageous and unfair investigation regarding Representative Lee, and looking at the grounds for today's request, it is nothing more or less than trying to fit an already established fact with no new elements." He said, "It is not wrong to see them as servants of the regime whose sole purpose is to eliminate the opposition leader as a political rival."

Park also said, "Regarding the prosecution's warrant request, we will consult with the party leadership and promptly organize a position on how to respond at the party and National Assembly levels."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Democratic Party plans to convene the Supreme Council and other bodies to discuss follow-up measures related to the arrest consent bill for Representative Lee.

With the arrest warrant requested for Representative Lee, it is expected that the arrest consent bill will be submitted to the National Assembly after approval by the court, the Ministry of Justice, and the President. Considering that the arrest consent bill has typically taken at least two days, it is anticipated to be during the weekend or next week.

Within the Democratic Party, opinions are divided regarding the arrest consent bill for Representative Lee. Regarding the possibility of a vote on the arrest consent bill in the National Assembly, there are responses that the outcome cannot be predicted. Since there have been calls for the abolition of parliamentary immunity, voices have emerged that Representative Lee should waive his immunity and undergo the warrant's substantive review. Democratic Party lawmaker Cho Eung-cheon appeared on CBS Radio's Kim Hyun-jung's News Show that day and said that the possibility of 28 Democratic Party members voting in favor (or defecting) for the approval of the arrest consent bill "cannot be ruled out." He added, "Many people want to decide (for or against) after observing the arrest consent bill."

On the other hand, Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Sang-min said on KBS Radio's Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current Affairs that the arrest consent bill is likely to be rejected if voted on. Lee said, "Considering the form of the prosecution's investigation and the manipulations through the media, I do not trust the prosecution," adding, "There is a stronger atmosphere that the arrest consent bill for Representative Lee will not be approved by sympathizing with the prosecution's unreliable investigation."

However, Lee mentioned that Representative Lee had previously advocated for the abolition of parliamentary immunity, saying, "Rather than going through the current legal procedure of passing the arrest consent bill, it would be cleaner to go directly to the court for the warrant review, like Representative Kwon Seong-dong of the People Power Party," and added, "Whether it is appropriate to demand this from Representative Lee should be discussed within the party."

Kim Seong-hwan, chairman of the Democratic Party's Policy Committee, said, "Despite very unfair treatment, Representative Lee has boldly complied with the prosecution's three summons," and added, "The prosecution has not presented any evidence or proof of any charges." He continued, "Even if Representative Lee is guilty, the truth can be contested in court," criticizing, "This is opposition suppression against a party leader who poses no flight risk or risk of evidence destruction."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.