Rejected 'Coming Out' by Opposition Lawmakers... Some Argue "Not Opposed to Rejection"

Gominjeong "I voted against, would you believe me?"
Ikyeong "Take responsibility for the approval vote and be transparent"

With the arrest motion against Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, passing on the 21st, Lee's staunch supporters have begun identifying the lawmakers who voted in favor, leading some lawmakers to 'come out' as having voted against the motion. One lawmaker clarified that a YouTube video claiming they opposed the motion was 'not true,' and another lawmaker even publicly revealed their vote against the motion. The party leadership is also pressuring lawmakers to publicly confirm their votes in favor.

Gomin Jeong, a pro-Moon Jae-in (친문, Chinmun) senior party official of the Democratic Party, said at the party's Supreme Council meeting on the 22nd, "I voted against the motion. When a person is fighting for their life, I did not want to lose them like Roh Moo-hyun or Cho Kuk. But even if I say this, would you believe me?" This broke the principle of a 'secret ballot' intended to protect conscientious voting by revealing the voting result.

Ko Min-jung, Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 22nd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Democratic Party lawmaker So Byung-chul also expressed disbelief at the voting outcome via social media the day before, saying, "I myself voted against the motion, but our strength was insufficient. It is regrettable that even one more person did not join me." Jo Oh-seop, a non-mainstream (非明) Democratic Party lawmaker, said, "I voted against the motion. I believe it is my duty to respond to party members' questions rather than uphold the secret ballot principle of the National Assembly Act." Lawmakers Kim Kyung-man, Min Hong-chul, and Lee Byung-hoon also revealed their votes against the motion.

Going further, a lawmaker even took a photo of their vote against the motion as proof. Democratic Party lawmaker Uh Ki-gu, classified as part of the 'Beom-i Nak-yeon faction,' posted a photo of his vote against the motion in a party members' group chat, sparking controversy.

Kim Han-gyu, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, hurriedly issued a clarification after rumors spread that he opposed the motion. On social media, he said, "A YouTube broadcast claimed that I rebutted the opposition to the motion during the party meeting, but that is not true. While taking notes as the floor spokesperson in the front row, a certain lawmaker continued speaking despite the moderator's warning, so I muttered to myself, 'Why are you talking so long about yourself?' I was then protested and immediately apologized."

He added, "I met separately to clarify that I was not opposing the content of the speech and apologized," but supporters left comments under his social media post asking, "Are you sure you voted against the motion?" and "So was it passed or rejected?"

The reason Democratic Party lawmakers have unexpectedly 'come out' like this is due to pressure from Lee Jae-myung's staunch supporters to identify dissenters. These supporters are sharing lists of lawmakers who likely voted in favor through online communities and social media, conducting 'defeat campaigns.' Death threats targeting non-mainstream (非明) lawmakers have been posted on online communities, prompting police investigations.

Responding to the pressure from staunch supporters, even party leadership figures have joined in, demanding that lawmakers who voted in favor publicly state their positions. Lee Kyung, full-time deputy spokesperson for the Democratic Party, wrote on social media, "Take responsibility and reveal your vote in favor. Don't cowardly hide and just attend local events. A lawmaker is not an individual but part of a legislative body. They represent the people," raising their voice.