Gominjeong: "Lee's Refusal to Vote on Arrest Consent? Are You Saying He Will Break His Promise?"

"Politics is keeping the word once spoken"

Democratic Party lawmaker Ko Min-jung questioned the suggestion from some pro-Lee Jae-myung (친명) faction members to refuse voting on the arrest consent motion if an arrest warrant for party leader Lee Jae-myung is requested during the parliamentary session, asking, "Are you saying we should retract the declaration to waive parliamentary immunity?"

In an interview on June 21 with CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' Ko said, "There was a stance from the Democratic Party on the arrest consent motion proposed by the Kim Eun-kyung Innovation Committee, and there was a response from the party leadership regarding that," adding, "I want to confirm whether they intend to retract that statement."

Ko Min-jung, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

She emphasized, "Since many lawmakers believe that the proposals from the Kim Eun-kyung Innovation Committee should be pursued even more strongly, I don't think there is an intention to retract them," and added, "In politics, it is natural to keep promises once they are made."

At the nationwide convention of the pro-Lee Jae-myung faction's off-parliamentary group, the Democratic Party National Innovation Council, held the previous day, there was a claim that if an arrest warrant for Lee is requested during the parliamentary session, the party should refuse to vote on the arrest consent motion. Democratic Party lawmaker Min Hyung-bae stated in his congratulatory speech, "(By refusing to vote on the arrest consent motion,) we will protect leader Lee Jae-myung and safeguard the Democratic Party," he asserted.

However, this stance can be seen as contradictory to the innovation proposals put forth by the Kim Eun-kyung Innovation Committee. The committee had earlier proposed, as part of its first innovation plan, that all party members waive their parliamentary immunity and adopt a party line to approve arrest motions, which the Democratic Party accepted on the condition of a "legitimate warrant request." Leader Lee himself has repeatedly stated that he would voluntarily undergo the court's warrant review if an arrest warrant is requested.