Opposition Rejects Lee Jae-myung and Noh Woong-rae, Supports Ruling Party's Ha Young-je Arrest Proposal

Passed with 22 Abstentions
Han Dong-hoon: "Except for the last two times, it has never been rejected"
Ha Young-je: "Contrary to the Presumption of Innocence Principle"

The motion to consent to the arrest of Ha Young-je, a member of the People Power Party, who has been indicted on charges including violation of the Political Funds Act, was passed on the 30th.

On the same day, the National Assembly held a plenary session in the afternoon and, after a secret ballot on the motion to consent to Ha's arrest, it was passed with 160 votes in favor, 99 against, and 22 abstentions out of 281 members present.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Ha is accused of receiving money in exchange for helping secure a nomination from a preliminary candidate for the Gyeongnam Provincial Assembly ahead of the local elections in June.

Han Dong-hoon, Minister of Justice, stated before the vote on the motion to consent to arrest, "In the 2020 Gyeongnam Provincial Assembly election, Ha received a shopping bag containing 70 million won as a reward for helping a People Power Party candidate secure a nomination. From 2020 to June 2022, he also received a total of 57.5 million won in illegal political funds under the pretext of office operating expenses from the mayor of Sacheon and the head of the Namhae office, totaling 127.5 million won in illegal political funds."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Minister Han said, "I will explain in three points. First, is the evidence solid? Second, are the charges serious? Third, are there circumstances warranting the request for an arrest warrant, such as evidence tampering?" He added, "In cases involving nomination bribes and similar amounts of money, almost without exception, the accused have been indicted under arrest or sentenced to prison." He also stated, "During the investigation, documents were fabricated, including false labor contracts, to make it appear as if the aide received the money without the knowledge of the lawmaker." He noted, "Except for the last two times in the 21st National Assembly, motions to consent to arrest have never been rejected."

In a subsequent personal statement, Ha expressed his innocence. He argued, "Voting solely based on the Justice Minister's proposal and the lawmaker's personal statement is absolutely disadvantageous to the lawmaker and does not secure democratic procedures or legitimacy within the National Assembly." He further claimed, "If the National Assembly consents to the government's motion to arrest a lawmaker, it becomes a sign that presumes the lawmaker's guilt in advance, which violates the principle of presumption of innocence." He added, "The truth regarding my charges and what has appeared in the media will be revealed during the trial process," and defended himself by saying, "Many of the allegations have been exaggerated."