Tomorrow (21st) National Assembly Plenary Vote Outlook
Jeong Cheong-rae "If Aliens Invade, Unite and Fight"
Democratic Party to Hold Full-Force Protest Rally Against Yoon Administration's Tyranny Today
The arrest motion for Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, who has been indicted on charges of preferential treatment in the development of Baekhyun-dong and allegations of remittances to North Korea by Ssangbangwool, was reported to the National Assembly plenary session on the 20th. Ahead of the vote on the arrest motion scheduled for the 21st, the Democratic Party appears to be rallying 'no' votes mainly among pro-Lee factions.
At the National Assembly plenary session held that morning, both the arrest motion against Lee and the motion to dismiss Prime Minister Han Duck-soo were simultaneously submitted. This followed the Ministry of Justice sending the arrest motion for Lee to the National Assembly after President Yoon Seok-yeol's approval the previous day, and the Democratic Party submitting the dismissal motion for Prime Minister Han to the National Assembly on the 18th.
According to the National Assembly Act, motions for the arrest of members of the National Assembly and motions to dismiss the Prime Minister are reported at the first plenary session after submission to the Assembly. The agenda must be put to a secret ballot vote between 24 hours after the report and within 72 hours. Both motions are expected to be voted on at the plenary session on the 21st. The arrest motion passes if a majority of the total members are present and a majority of those present vote in favor. If passed, Lee will undergo a pre-trial detention hearing (warrant review) at the court.
On the 21st day of Lee’s hunger strike, the Democratic Party once again faces a crossroads regarding the arrest motion. In his June negotiation group leader speech, Lee declared the waiver of parliamentary immunity, and there was strong expectation both inside and outside the party that the second vote on the arrest motion would pass. However, as Lee’s hunger strike has prolonged, voices within the party calling for rejection have grown louder.
Jeong Cheong-rae, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party, said at the party’s Supreme Council meeting that morning, "Detaining Leader Lee Jae-myung is an opposition party crackdown, elimination of political rivals, and a plot to divide the opposition." He emphasized, "Just as the entire Earth would unite to fight if aliens invaded, when a weapon is raised to destroy the opposition, what other choice is there but to unite and fight?" Jang Kyung-tae, a member of the National Assembly, also said on YTN Radio that "there is considerable consensus against the unjust warrant request," and that many lawmakers view "the prosecution’s excessive investigation as part of undermining democracy to manipulate state governance."
Kim Eui-gyeom, a staunch pro-Lee lawmaker, emphasized rejection on BBS Radio the previous day, saying, "The backlash if it passes will be 100 times greater than if it is rejected." Park Beom-gye and Min Hyung-bae also stressed, "We have no obligation to comply with an investigation close to judicial murder," and "It has become a situation where rejection is inevitable."
The Democratic Party plans to hold a "Total Struggle Rally to Stop the Tyranny of the Yoon Seok-yeol Regime and Prosecutorial Dictatorship" that afternoon and will mobilize internal efforts to reject the arrest motion for Lee.
However, the non-Lee factions continue to urge the approval of the motion, warning that rejection could solidify the party’s image as a 'shield.' Therefore, significant repercussions are expected after the vote on the arrest motion. Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Won-wook said on SBS Radio that "(Lee) requested Democratic Party lawmakers to approve the motion as the party line, saying 'I will go and face it confidently,' and if he undergoes the warrant review and is cleared, it will clearly reveal the political nature of the prosecution’s investigation." He added, "In that case, it will become a huge negative factor for the Yoon Seok-yeol government."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
