Motion to Arrest Kang Seonwoo Reported to National Assembly Plenary...Vote Expected After Lunar New Year Holiday

The motion passes with a majority of all lawmakers present and a majority voting in favor
The ruling party to allow a free vote without adopting an official party line

An arrest motion for independent lawmaker Kang Seonwoo, for whom an arrest warrant has been sought on charges of receiving 100 million won in nomination kickbacks, was reported to the plenary session of the National Assembly on the 12th.

At the plenary session that day, the secretary general of the National Assembly said, "On February 12, the government submitted a motion to arrest National Assembly member Kang Seonwoo." Earlier in the day, the Ministry of Justice requested the National Assembly’s consent to arrest Rep. Kang.

Lawmaker Kang Seonwoo appearing before police. Yonhap News

As a sitting lawmaker, Rep. Kang is protected by parliamentary immunity from arrest and cannot be arrested or detained during a session without the consent of the National Assembly. Therefore, the arrest motion must be approved at a plenary session of the National Assembly before she can undergo a pre-arrest suspect examination (substantive review of the warrant). The arrest motion is passed if it is approved by a majority of lawmakers present, with a majority of all incumbent lawmakers in attendance.

Under the National Assembly Act, the Speaker of the National Assembly must report the request for consent to arrest at the first plenary session convened after receiving it, and put it to a vote between 24 and 72 hours after the report. If this deadline passes, the motion must be put to a vote at the first plenary session convened thereafter.

Accordingly, the motion to arrest Rep. Kang is expected to be put to a vote at the plenary session to be held after the Lunar New Year holiday.

The Democratic Party of Korea, to which Rep. Kang had belonged, has reportedly decided not to adopt an official party line regarding the vote on the arrest motion and to allow lawmakers to vote freely.

The Democratic Party expelled Rep. Kang after allegations emerged that she had exchanged 100 million won in return for a party nomination with former Seoul Metropolitan Council member Kim Kyung at a hotel in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, ahead of the 2022 local elections.

Earlier, on the 10th, Rep. Kang sent a four-page personal letter on A4 paper to Democratic Party lawmakers, denying the allegations by saying, "The 100 million won is not worth staking my political life or my entire life on," and adding, "I tried several times through my aide to return the 100 million won to Kim Kyung, but it was not easy."

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