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| ▲ Rep. Jung Chung-rai, a member of the Democratic Party's Supreme Council, speaks during a party meeting in Seoul on Sept. 22, 2023. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ Speaker Kim Jin-pyo bangs the gavel to declare the passage of a motion to approve an arrest warrant for Lee Jae-myung, head of the main opposition Democratic Party, on corruption allegations in a 149-136 vote at the National Assembly in Seoul on Sept. 21, 2023. (Yonhap) |
DP-leadership
DP leader Lee will not step down: senior party official
By Kim Han-joo
SEOUL, Sept. 22 (Yonhap) -- Rep. Lee Jae-myung will not step down as leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), a senior party official said Friday, following the surprising approval of a motion seeking parliamentary consent for his arrest.
On Thursday, the National Assembly voted to endorse the motion to lift Lee's immunity to arrest, reflecting a growing division among DP lawmakers, particularly those not aligned with Lee, in anticipation of next year's general elections.
"Lawmakers from the same party have sold out their own party leader," said Rep. Jung Chung-rai while presiding over the party's Supreme Council meeting.
The approval enabled the Seoul Central District Court to conduct a hearing on the prosecutor's request for Lee's arrest, as he faces an expanding investigation into corruption allegations.
It remains unclear whether Lee will attend the meeting scheduled for next Tuesday, and the schedule may be subject to change due to potential health concerns arising from his ongoing hunger strike.
Chung presided over the meeting, as the party's floor leader Park Kwang-on, secretary general Cho Jung-sik and other officials had offered to resign, taking responsibility for the surprise passage of the motion
"Lee Jae-myung will not step down," Chung said, emphasizing that the party will again reunite for the victory in next April's parliamentary elections.
If the hearing proceeds as scheduled, the court's decision on whether to detain Lee will likely be made late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.
"It is time to stop the hunger strike and stand against the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's tyranny," Chung said, adding that party members will visit Lee at the hospital and ask him to stop fasting.
The arrest motion presented by the prosecution accusing Lee of breach of trust, bribery and other charges related to a development scandal, and a North Korean remittance case was approved by parliament in a 149-136 vote.
The prosecution accuses Lee of committing breach of trust worth 20 billion won (US$15.06 million) by giving special treatment to a private developer in the Baekhyeon-dong district apartment project in the city of Seongnam, south of Seoul, between 2014 and 2015, when he was serving as the city's mayor.
In February, the prosecution's attempt to detain Lee on allegations of corruption in two separate corruption cases fell through after the parliamentary disapproval.
The DP has strongly condemned the Yoon government and the prosecution for seeking the warrant when the regular National Assembly session is under way, even though Lee declared he would cooperate. Lee had stated he would waive his privilege and consent to the warrant during a non-session period.
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