Jeong Jeong-sun Visits Lee Nak-yeon... Likely to Push Forward with Arrest Consent Bill Processing

Democratic Party Announces Scheduled Vote in Plenary Session on the 30th

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] The report on the motion to consent to the arrest of Jeong Jeong-sun, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) accused of accounting fraud in the April 15 general election, is just one day away on the 27th. The DPK held a party meeting on the same day to discuss matters related to Jeong.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Jeong visited DPK leadership including Representative Lee Nak-yeon and Floor Leader Kim Tae-nyeon the day before to appeal for reconsideration of the motion to consent to his arrest. After meeting Jeong, Representative Lee told reporters, "He said he wants to go confidently, not dragged like this (by the prosecution)."

Meanwhile, the statute of limitations on the motion to consent to arrest has emerged as a new issue. Jeong claimed during the meeting with the DPK leadership that the deadline for the motion expired on the 15th. According to the National Assembly procedure, after a court requests consent to arrest, the first plenary session convened must report it, and then an anonymous vote must be held within 72 hours after 24 hours have passed. However, with the plenary session report scheduled for the 28th, Jeong asserted that the statute of limitations had expired. Representative Lee told reporters, "The motion to consent to arrest he presented was valid until the 15th," adding, "We have asked the National Assembly Secretariat to interpret how to handle a motion whose statute of limitations has passed."

In political circles, the prevailing opinion is that the motion will be processed in principle if Jeong does not voluntarily appear before the prosecution. The DPK is reportedly planning to hold a plenary session on the 30th to vote on the matter within 72 hours. However, a National Assembly Secretariat official said, "Interpretations regarding the validity of the motion to consent to arrest are still under internal discussion."

If processed in the plenary session, it will be the first case of a motion to consent to arrest being approved in five years since Park Ki-chun of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy in 2015. Among the 56 motions to consent to arrest submitted to the National Assembly historically, approval cases are rare. Since the 13th National Assembly, when the current constitution was applied, there have been only six approvals. In the 19th National Assembly, motions to consent to arrest were approved for Park and Park Ju-seon and Hyun Young-hee on charges of violating the Political Funds Act, and for Lee Seok-ki of the Unified Progressive Party on charges of conspiracy for rebellion. In the 18th National Assembly, Kang Sung-jong of the Democratic United Party was approved on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act, and in the 14th National Assembly, Park Eun-tae of the United Democratic Party was approved on charges of extortion.

According to the National Assembly Act, the DPK leadership's position to process Jeong's motion to consent to arrest is firm. The DPK has warned of an internal ethics inspection team’s investigation and disciplinary action if instructions are disobeyed. The day before, Floor Leader Kim urged at the Supreme Council meeting, "Now that the national audit is over, Jeong should voluntarily appear before the prosecution and transparently explain the charges." He emphasized the plan to process the motion according to the National Assembly Act if it is submitted to the plenary session, saying, "The DPK has no intention of protecting lawmakers by holding a bulletproof National Assembly."