"No Warrant Request in Non-Session, So Rejected"…Pro-Ming Faction Claims 'Rejection'

Jeong Cheong-rae "The Democratic Party must unite to reject"
Seo Eun-sook "It should obviously be rejected"
Park Seong-min "Concerns about dissent within the party"

Within the Democratic Party of Korea, which resolved to 'waive immunity from arrest' through the Innovation Committee and the party caucus, the pro-Lee Jae-myung faction is regaining momentum in arguing that 'even if a motion to consent to the arrest of Representative Lee Jae-myung is submitted, it should be rejected.' This is because the prosecution did not request an arrest warrant during the non-session period despite Lee's request. However, some express concerns that reversing the declaration to waive immunity from arrest could instead fuel internal party discord.

Jeong Cheong-rae, a pro-Lee Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party, raised his voice on the 29th on KBS's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current Affairs,' saying, "In the face of the ruthless prosecution's oppression, I believe the Democratic Party must unite tightly and reject the motion," emphasizing that rejecting the arrest consent motion is 'only natural.'

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the National March to Stop the Discharge of Fukushima Contaminated Water held on the 25th in front of the Admiral Yi Sun-sin statue at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The calls to reject the arrest consent motion, centered around the pro-Lee faction, began to grow louder when Representative Lee started voicing concerns about whether an arrest warrant would be requested during the non-session period.

When asked about the 'overall party sentiment,' Supreme Council member Jeong said, "It is moving in that direction. Because they keep framing it as a shield, demanding that an arrest warrant be requested during the non-session period, which is why the non-session period was even created. But what is the prosecution doing? I condemn the lazy prosecution."

On the 17th, Representative Lee demanded, "Request the arrest warrant boldly during the non-session period," but Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon effectively refused, saying, "They are demanding it as if making a restaurant reservation."

Earlier, although the Democratic Party resolved to 'waive immunity from arrest' through the party caucus, it was emphasized that this was 'conditional.' He said, "What we resolved at the Democratic Party caucus was to comply with legitimate warrant requests. Isn't this obviously unfair to anyone?" This is interpreted to mean that requesting a warrant during the regular session, not the non-session period, is not a 'legitimate warrant request,' so there is no need to waive immunity from arrest.

Seo Eun-sook, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party, also said on the National Assembly Broadcasting, "Even though Representative Lee said he would voluntarily go for the substantive investigation if a warrant is requested during the non-session period, the continued rumors that a warrant will be issued during the non-session period indicate that the prosecution is causing discord within the Democratic Party," adding, "Of course, the motion to consent to the arrest should be rejected."

Min Hyung-bae, a People Power Party lawmaker, wrote on his social media, "Just because immunity from arrest has been waived does not mean Representative Lee has an obligation to accept such vile tricks and ruthlessness from the prosecution," and said, "Minister Han's evil scheme to gain political advantage before the court's judgment is a 'vote coercion' act, and if they insist on doing so, rejecting it is the right thing to do."

However, amid significant factional differences in perception regarding the 'waiver of immunity from arrest,' there are also concerns that reversing this could only deepen internal party conflicts.

Park Sung-min, former Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party, said on Channel A's 'News A Live,' "Not only Supreme Council member Jeong but also some lawmakers are making claims in various places that 'it should obviously be rejected,'" adding, "There is an attempt within the party to overturn the promise made directly by Representative Lee, which is causing disagreements to erupt within the party and leading to conflicts over issues that should not be fought over, which is very worrisome."

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