Park Kwang-on and Democratic Party Floor Leadership Resign... Responsibility for 'Arrest Motion Passed'

Secretary-General and Political Appointee Staff Also Resign

Park Kwang-on, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and other floor leadership members have decided to take responsibility for the passage of the arrest consent motion against Representative Lee Jae-myung and resign en masse.

Ko Min-jung, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party of Korea, and others showed somber expressions on the 21st in the National Assembly plenary session hall as the arrest motion for Representative Lee Jae-myung was passed. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

According to the Democratic Party on the 22nd, Park and the floor leadership expressed their intention to resign at a members' meeting held after the plenary session the previous day, taking responsibility for the passage of the arrest consent motion.

Lee So-young, floor spokesperson, told reporters after the meeting, "The floor leader, as a member of the party leadership's Supreme Council, requested members to vote against the motion," adding, "Since he played an active role in persuading members, he judged himself responsible for the failure to reach a conclusion through persuasion and decided to resign."

It was reported that Park said at the meeting, "I will not cling to my position. I will take responsibility for the voting result that differed from the leadership's decision."

Following the mass resignation of the floor leadership, the Democratic Party is expected to hold a new floor leader election soon.

Spokesperson Lee said, "The procedure to elect a new floor leader will likely proceed within a reasonable time," adding, "Everything will be conducted according to the party's constitution and regulations."

Park Kwang-on, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, shows a somber expression as the motion to approve the arrest of Representative Lee Jae-myung is passed at the National Assembly plenary session on the 21st. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

In addition, Lee said that Cho Jung-sik, the party secretary-general, and all political appointees under the secretary-general also expressed their intention to resign. However, Chief Spokesperson Kwon Chil-seung told reporters that Representative Lee instructed that "political appointees under the secretary-general will continue to work normally until their resignations are accepted."

On the same day, the party's Supreme Council issued a statement saying, "We feel deep sorrow and take responsibility for the passage of the arrest consent motion against Representative Lee," adding, "The Democratic Party has condemned the prosecution's request for an arrest warrant as unjust political oppression at the Supreme Council, members' meeting, and central committee rallies. Therefore, the plenary session's approval vote on the arrest consent motion against Representative Lee is an unacceptable and clear act of betrayal."

They also said, "Since Representative Lee's continued hunger strike could cause fatal damage to his health, it must be stopped," and "The Supreme Council members will promptly stabilize the party and support Representative Lee Jae-myung to the end."

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