Prosecutors Seek Arrest Warrant for Lee Jae-myung Headed to Hospital... Will Detention Consent Be Rejected?

Park Jumin "Of course, if an arrest consent bill comes, it will be rejected"
Hyeon Geuntaek "There are rarely cases decided as party policy"

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, was transported to a hospital on the morning of the 18th due to health issues on the 19th day of his hunger strike. Meanwhile, the prosecution has requested an arrest warrant against Lee regarding the Baekhyeon-dong and North Korea remittance allegations, drawing attention to the vote on the arrest consent bill, which could take place as early as the 21st. While some pro-Lee factions argue that the party should adopt a stance to reject the bill, others suggest that the decision should be left to individual members rather than making it a party line.

Pro-Lee lawmaker Park Joo-min said on CBS's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' that "I have been cautious about expressing my personal stance, but I believe the arrest consent bill should naturally be rejected," adding, "Within the party, as I mentioned in a previous interview, opinions are divided."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the same day, the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office requested an arrest warrant for Lee on charges including breach of trust under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes, bribery under the same act, subornation of perjury, and violation of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act. The vote on the arrest consent bill for the arrest warrant is expected to take place as early as the 21st.

Since the Democratic Party had previously declared the waiver of parliamentary immunity, opinions within factions are divided over the vote on the arrest consent bill. However, public opinion against the bill is growing stronger amid Lee's hunger strike. Lawmaker Park said, "Discussions need to be held to sort out the differing views," and added, "There should be discussions on even rejecting it as a party line."

Jang Kyung-tae, a pro-Lee first-term hardliner and member of the 'Cheoreomhoe' faction within the Democratic Party, expressed on SBS's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show' that "We clearly gave sufficient time during the non-session period in August for the prosecution to request the warrant, and since they refused, we have no intention to cooperate," signaling his intention to reject the bill.

Former party leader Song Young-gil also encouraged the rejection of the arrest consent bill on his social media, stating, "The parliamentary immunity from arrest is granted by the Constitution to members of the National Assembly to fight against the dictatorship of the executive branch. It is not something individual lawmakers can waive. It is a weapon to fight against the president's immunity from prosecution and the prosecutors' de facto immunity from indictment."

However, there are opinions that it is not necessary to make the rejection of the arrest consent bill a party line. Hyun Geun-taek, deputy director of the Democratic Research Institute of the Democratic Party, said on CBS's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show', "I am not sure if the rejection of the arrest consent bill will be set as a party line. Because, looking at other parties so far, it seems rare for this to be set as a party line," and added, "It should be left to individuals' opinions."

Pro-Lee lawmaker Park Sung-joon also hinted at a natural consensus toward rejection on YTN's 'News King Park Ji-hoon', saying, "If the arrest warrant is requested today or this week, the Democratic Party lawmakers' opinions will naturally converge," and added, "This prosecution's investigation, which relies solely on testimonies without finding any concrete evidence, what could be its purpose? Lawmakers agree that it also aims to divide the opposition."

Meanwhile, on the same day, Democratic Party lawmakers criticized the prosecution for requesting an arrest warrant despite Lee being transported to the hospital. Lawmaker Jo Oh-seop called the prosecution "a power's watchdog that has lost humanity" on social media, saying, "An arrest warrant requested against Lee, who was taken away in a 119 ambulance!" Lawmaker Woo Won-shik also criticized, "This administration is truly cruel and heartless! It seems they have given up being human!"