Cho Eung-cheon "There Are Quite a Few Lawmakers Who Support the Arrest Motion for Lee Jae-myung When You Talk to Them"

"I think the possibility of Lee Jae-myung's voluntary resignation is extremely low"
"If all related cases are prosecuted, there will be three to four trials a week"
"Worried about how to conduct the general election"

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] On the 14th, Cho Eung-cheon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said regarding the arrest motion for party leader Lee Jae-myung, "Everyone has many concerns and thoughts, so they are reluctant to mention it," but added, "When talking, quite a few lawmakers cautiously hint at supporting the arrest motion."

Cho made these remarks during an appearance on BBS Radio's Jeon Young-shin's Morning Journal when asked about the party atmosphere regarding the arrest motion for Lee.

He predicted that Lee would maintain his position as party leader even after being indicted. However, he expressed concerns about disruptions in performing his duties if trials continue. Cho said, "Judging from his recent words and movements, it is clear that he is assuming he will keep the leadership position," and added, "I think the possibility of him voluntarily resigning is extremely low." However, he noted, "Currently, he has already been indicted for election law violations and false information disclosure. Assuming cases related to Daejang-dong, Wirye, Seongnam FC, Baekhyeon-dong, Jeongja-dong hotel, and Ssangbangwool are all indicted, he might have to attend trials three to four times a week," and said, "Since these are public trials and all are broadcasted, I worry about how he will manage the general election."

He also opposed rejecting the arrest motion as a party line if it is submitted. He said, "I firmly oppose it," and added, "The party has continuously advocated for giving up parliamentary privileges. Also, since the vote is anonymous and secret, enforcing a party line could lead to confusion and accountability issues if the final decision does not align." Regarding the arrest motion, he said, "I think we need to review the content and then make a judgment."

He also predicted that if the arrest motion is submitted, Han Dong-hoon, the Minister of Justice, would provoke the opposition party. He said, "I heard that Minister Han has been rehearsing this for some time," and added, "It seems he practiced how to upset opposition lawmakers."

Regarding former People Power Party Emergency Committee Chairman Kim Jong-in's mention of the possibility of Lee voluntarily resigning, Cho cited former lawmaker Jeong Dong-young as an example and expressed the view that voluntary resignation is not necessarily an obstacle to the presidential election path.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, former Chairman Kim appeared on CBS Radio's 'Park Jae-hong's One Round Match' and said, "If he (Lee) is a good person, he might throw away his leadership position for the party's next year's general election," and added, "Then, the so-called Democratic Party's election position would improve."

Regarding this remark, Cho said, "When the Uri Party suffered a crushing defeat in the 2006 local elections, then Chairman Jeong Dong-young, who was hanging on the edge of a cliff, said that letting go was the attitude of a true man and resigned as chairman, then made a brilliant comeback as a candidate in the next presidential election," and added, "I think former Chairman Kim was referring to such a case."