'Sajeuksaeng' Determination on Day 5 of Hunger Strike
Support Base Unites... Shift in Atmosphere Over Arrest Consent Proposal
Byungye Faction Criticizes "Backlash if Rejected"
The indefinite hunger strike launched by Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, appears to be another variable in the vote on the arrest motion against him scheduled for the September regular National Assembly session. Sympathy for the party leader on a hunger strike, mainly from the pro-Lee faction, is leading to a trend toward the rejection of the arrest motion, but the anti-Lee faction insists that the motion must be passed since Lee himself had declared the 'waiver of immunity from arrest,' setting the stage for conflict.
Kim Yong-min, a pro-Lee Democratic Party lawmaker, said on the morning of the 4th on BBS Radio that the arrest motion against Lee should be "rejected."
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held in the hunger strike tent in front of the National Assembly main building on the 1st. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
Kim said, "Although the party leader has said he would waive his immunity from arrest and there may be various controversies, the Democratic Party has clearly defined this as 'prosecutorial dictatorship.' The party recognizes and defines this as a 'political oppression investigation,'" emphasizing, "This (immunity from arrest) should not be waived."
He also said, "Separately from the party leader's expression of intent to waive it, my voting right is my constitutional right, so that is a different matter."
Regarding Lee's decision on the fifth day of his hunger strike, Kim evaluated it positively as "resistance through self-sacrifice" and predicted that "leadership within the party will be strengthened." He said, "There may be various disagreements within the party at first about the party leader conducting such a hunger strike, but as time goes by, sincerity toward the party leader and the need for the party to speak with one voice centered on the leader will naturally gather," adding, "The party will be able to show a more united front." Since Lee has embarked on this indefinite hunger strike with a 'do or die' determination, it is expected to serve as an opportunity for party unity.
However, the anti-Lee faction is emphasizing the passage of the arrest motion, fearing a backlash if it is rejected, which is expected to deepen internal party conflicts.
Lee Sang-min, an anti-Lee lawmaker, argued on YTN Radio on the same morning that if the arrest motion against Lee is put to a vote, the Democratic Party should approve it. Lee said, "Looking at what the prosecution is doing now, it seems their goal is to simply detain the leader of the main opposition party and politically damage him. The intention and purity of judicial power have been completely compromised, and this will likely backfire on the prosecution," but added, "(The waiver of immunity) is something that Lee and our party have declared several times."
He continued, "The most important thing in politics is trust and faith, but because this has been overturned several times, the party has been stigmatized as a 'corruption shield party.' The legitimacy of the final arrest warrant request will be decided by the judge's warrant review. If it is deemed unjust, it will be dismissed; if deemed legitimate, it will be issued. Therefore, we should approve the arrest motion to fairly undergo the judge's warrant review and abide by the result."
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held in the hunger strike tent in front of the National Assembly main building on the 1st. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@
Meanwhile, Lee has expressed willingness to comply with the prosecution's summons for questioning related to the 'Ssangbangwool North Korea remittance suspicion' and planned to undergo a two-hour investigation on the morning of the day, but the prosecution rejected this, and a standoff over the summons date continues.
Lee is expected to appear during the week of September 11?15, which is a 'week without plenary sessions' as requested by his side. The arrest motion is likely to be reported at the plenary session on the 21st and put to a vote on the 25th. If Lee's hunger strike continues until then, sympathy for his prolonged strike may grow, increasing the likelihood of the arrest motion being rejected and further intensifying factional conflicts within the party.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
