'Don Bongtu' Yoon Gwansuk and Lee Seongman Lawmakers Arrest Consent Procedure Begins

The National Assembly's consent procedure for the arrest of independent lawmakers Yoon Kwan-seok and Lee Sung-man, who have had arrest warrants requested in connection with the Democratic Party of Korea's '2021 Party Convention Money Envelope Distribution Allegation,' began on the 25th.

Yoon Kwan-seok, Lee Sung-man Independent Members of Parliament
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The Seoul Central District Court announced that it sent the request for consent to arrest the two lawmakers to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on the same day.

The request for consent to arrest is submitted to the National Assembly after receiving approval from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, the Ministry of Justice, and the President. Sitting lawmakers have immunity from arrest and detention without the consent of the National Assembly during sessions unless caught in the act. Accordingly, the handling of the two lawmakers' custody will depend on the progress of the National Assembly's vote on the consent to arrest.

The consent to arrest for Lawmakers Yoon and Lee is likely to be reported at the plenary session on the 30th. The vote is scheduled to take place at the first plenary session of the June extraordinary session of the National Assembly. The consent to arrest is approved if a majority of the total members are present and a majority of those present vote in favor. If approved, the court sets a date for the pre-arrest suspect interrogation (warrant substantive examination), and if rejected, the warrant is dismissed without a separate hearing.

In the 21st National Assembly, a total of six requests for consent to arrest were submitted, and four were approved. The requests for consent to arrest for Jeong Jeong-sun, then a Democratic Party lawmaker accused of illegal election fund receipt in October 2020; Lee Sang-jik, then an independent lawmaker accused of embezzlement and breach of trust related to Eastar Jet in April 2021; Jeong Chan-min, a People Power Party lawmaker accused of bribery in September 2021; and Ha Young-je, then a People Power Party lawmaker accused of illegal political fund receipt in March this year, were all approved by the National Assembly.

On the other hand, the requests for consent to arrest for Roh Woong-rae, a Democratic Party lawmaker accused of receiving bribes worth about 60 million won, and Lee Jae-myung, the party leader accused of preferential treatment in the Daejang-dong development and illegal sponsorship of Seongnam FC, were rejected in December last year and February this year, respectively.

Since the launch of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, the requests for consent to arrest opposition lawmakers have been the third, following those for Lawmaker Roh and Leader Lee, and now Lawmakers Yoon and Lee.

Lawmaker Yoon is accused of conspiring with former party leader Song Young-gil, former Korea Water Resources Corporation Standing Auditor Kang Rae-gu, and others to distribute a total of 60 million won to Democratic Party incumbent lawmakers to ensure the election of former leader Song ahead of the party convention at the end of April 2021. Lawmaker Lee is accused of providing 1 million won to former Democratic Party Deputy Secretary-General Lee Jung-geun in March 2021 as operating expenses for the primary election campaign and 10 million won in cash to Kang and others for regional headquarters chiefs to support former leader Song's election. He is also accused of receiving 3 million won from Lawmaker Yoon for delegates in April of the same year.

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