DPK wary of fallout from blocking chairman's arrest

• Published date: 28 February 2023
• Publication title: The Korea Times

Concerns are growing within the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) over the possible fallout due to its rejection of a motion to arrest its Chairman Lee Jae-myung, as it may come across as the party trying to make its leader "bulletproof," regardless of the political cost.

According to the National Assembly, lawmakers will hold a vote, Feb. 27, on whether they will allow the prosecution to detain Lee over bribery and corruption allegations.

The prosecution sought an arrest warrant for the main opposition party leader last week on suspicions that Lee had breached his professional duties ? in relation to a land development project in the Daejang-dong area of Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province ? and attracted unfair corporate donations to a Seongnam-based football club in return for administrative favors.

During an ongoing session of the Assembly, an incumbent lawmaker is immune from being arrested or detained without the consent of the Assembly, unless he or she is caught while committing a crime. The prosecution has sent a request for consent concerning Lee's arrest and the Assembly confirmed that it received the request on Monday.

Since the DPK holds 169 out of 299 registered seats in the Assembly, chances are slim for the prosecution's arrest request to be approved. However, concerns are growing within the DPK that the prosecution will likely continue sending arrest requests in relation to Lee's other allegations, and that repeated rejections may be interpreted as the party's unjust attempt to protect Lee at any cost.

The prosecution is investigating Lee's alleged involvement in development projects in Baekhyeon-dong and Jeongja-dong, both of which are also located in Seongnam, as well as a North Korea-bound money transfer scandal and suspicious payments to his lawyers.

The party's leadership on Monday urged its members to dismiss the request for consent on lee's arrest, with supreme council member Rep. Jung...