▲ The main opposition Democratic Party holds a party meeting at the National Assembly on June 26, 2023. (Yonhap)

DP-arrest immunity

DP pledges not to open extra parliamentary sessions aimed at voting down arrest motions

By Kim Han-joo

SEOUL, June 26 (Yonhap) -- The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) said Monday it will not convene extraordinary National Assembly sessions in an attempt to vote down motions for parliamentary consent to potential arrests of party lawmakers.

The decision comes after the party's innovation committee demanded that all DP lawmakers submit written pledges to give up their immunity from arrest and that the party adopt it as an official policy to pass future arrest consent motions.

By law, lawmakers in South Korea are immune from arrest while parliament is in session and can be arrested only when the National Assembly consents to it. But the privilege came under criticism that it is abused to protect corrupt politicians.

"The party respects the innovation committee's suggestion regarding arrest immunity," Rep. Kwon Chil-seung, a DP spokesperson, told reporters, adding that the DP will no longer open a session solely to vote down arrest motions sought by prosecutors.

Kwon said the party will also not make it an official policy to vote down an arrest motion.

The newly established committee put forward the demands as part of reform efforts after the party came under fire for voting down arrest consent motions for two of its lawmakers earlier this month.

Earlier, prosecutors had sought arrest warrants for the two -- Reps. Youn Kwan-suk and Lee Sung-man -- for their alleged involvement in a campaign to distribute "cash envelopes" to DP members to help then candidate Song Young-gil win the party chairmanship ahead of the party's national convention in May 2021.

The DP, which controls a majority in the 300-member National Assembly, however, voted down arrest consent motions. It marked the fourth time the party has rejected arrest motions for DP lawmakers since the launch of the government of President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Last week, Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon, the leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), also suggested giving up this privilege as part of political reform efforts. After his pitch, almost all of the PPP's 113 members in parliament signed an oath to give up such rights.

Earlier on Monday, Kim demanded that the DP adopt the committee's suggestion, emphasizing that it aligns with the common sense of the people.

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