'Choo Kyungho Arrest Motion' Passed in National Assembly... All People Power Party Members Walk Out (Update)

Choo: "Fabricated investigation by the special prosecutor... I never encouraged lawmakers to abstain from the vote"

The National Assembly passed the motion to arrest Choo Kyungho, a member of the People Power Party, who is accused of obstructing the vote to lift martial law during the December 3 Martial Law.

At the plenary session held on this day, the National Assembly approved the motion to arrest Assemblyman Choo with 172 votes in favor, 4 against, 2 abstentions, and 2 invalid votes. The motion to arrest requires a majority of registered members to be present and a majority of those present to approve it. The People Power Party left the chamber after Assemblyman Choo made a personal statement and did not participate in the vote.

Yonhap News Agency

The special prosecutor for the insurrection case (Special Prosecutor Cho Eunsuk) requested an arrest warrant for Assemblyman Choo on November 3, charging him with performing a key role in the insurrection. The special prosecutor believes that on December 3 of last year, when former President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, Assemblyman Choo, then floor leader of the People Power Party, communicated with former President Yoon and repeatedly changed the location of the party caucus, thereby obstructing People Power Party lawmakers from participating in the vote to lift martial law. Assemblyman Choo maintains that he was not aware of the martial law in advance, and that the changes in the caucus location were unavoidable due to restricted access to the National Assembly at the time.

In his personal statement on this day, Assemblyman Choo said, "On the day martial law was declared, I never encouraged or induced any party lawmaker to abstain from the vote to lift martial law," and sharply criticized, "All that the special prosecutor, who had already reached a predetermined conclusion, has left is a self-confession that this was a 'fabricated investigation' with political intent."

He went on to say, "The request for my arrest warrant is a political scheme to label the People Power Party as an unconstitutional party and lead to its dissolution," and urged, "Before it is too late, the government and the ruling party must abandon their antagonism of destroying and retaliating against the opposition, restore parliamentary democracy through dialogue, compromise, checks, and balances, and focus on protecting people's livelihoods."

Whether Assemblyman Choo will be detained is expected to be determined in a court hearing for a pretrial detention warrant (pre-arrest suspect interrogation). Political circles believe that the hearing may take place on December 2, with a decision on detention likely to be made in the early hours of December 3.