South Korean Lawmakers Vote to Lift Opposition Leader’s Immunity to Arrest

In a shock consequence, South Korea’s opposition-controlled parliament on Thursday voted to cross a movement submitted by the federal government that enables the potential arrest of the nation’s main opposition determine, Lee Jae-myung, who faces a widening investigation over corruption allegations.

Lawmakers voted 149-136 in favor of lifting Lee’s immunity to arrest, reflecting rising divisions inside the opposition Democratic Occasion over his authorized issues because the nation approaches a common election.

The vote permits the Seoul Central District Courtroom to carry a listening to on a request from prosecutors for an arrest warrant for Lee, who has been the liberal Democratic Occasion’s chairperson since August final yr.

It was not instantly clear when the listening to would happen or whether or not the court docket is more likely to grant an arrest warrant. Lee was hospitalized Monday throughout a weekslong starvation strike in protest of conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol’s home and international insurance policies.

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Lee, who beforehand stated he was keen to surrender his immunity in opposition to arrest as a result of he was assured about proving his innocence, pleaded with lawmakers to vote in opposition to the movement on Wednesday, saying on Fb that his potential arrest would “connect wings to prosecutors’ manipulated investigation.”

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Lee didn’t instantly touch upon the result of the vote.

Many Democratic Occasion lawmakers seemed shocked after Nationwide Meeting Speaker Kim Jin-pyo introduced that the movement had handed. One, Kim Byungkee, referred to as the get together members who voted in favor of the movement “canine.”

“I salute these Democratic Occasion members who colluded with prosecutors to unseat Chairperson Lee and grant impunity to prosecutorial dictatorship,” Kim derisively wrote on Fb.

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Tons of of Lee Jae-myung’s supporters rallied outdoors the meeting and the primary workplace of the Democratic Occasion, shouting offended slogans and waving indicators studying “R.I.P. Democratic Occasion” and “Arrest the lawmakers who supported the movement.”

The Democratic Occasion controls 168 seats within the 298-seat meeting.

Lee, who narrowly misplaced to Yoon within the presidential election in March final yr, is being investigated by prosecutors over numerous prison allegations. They embody accusations that he supplied illegal favors to a non-public investor that reaped big income from a doubtful actual property venture within the metropolis of Seongnam, the place he was mayor for a decade till 2018. Prosecutors additionally imagine that Lee pressured a neighborhood businessman into sending thousands and thousands of {dollars} in unlawful funds to North Korea as he tried to arrange a go to to that nation that by no means materialized.

Forward of Thursday’s vote, some reformist members of Lee’s get together, together with Cho Eungcheon, referred to as for him to remain true to his phrases and publicly endorse the movement looking for his personal arrest. They stated that might assist rally public help for the Democrats that has been sliding since his presidential election loss and silence suspicions that he was conducting a starvation strike to keep away from arrest.

Lee has tied his starvation strike to a worsening financial system and a broad vary of Yoon’s international coverage choices, together with the federal government’s refusal to oppose Japan’s launch of handled wastewater from the broken Fukushima nuclear energy plant into the ocean. Lee has additionally accused Yoon of aggravating tensions with North Korea by increasing navy coaching and safety cooperation with america and Japan.

Underneath regulation, courts can not maintain hearings on requests for arrest warrants for lawmakers throughout Nationwide Meeting classes until the meeting permits them to take action by vote. The Democratic Occasion blocked a earlier try by prosecutors to arrest Lee in February.

Lawmakers additionally handed a movement on Thursday urging Yoon to sack his prime minister, Han Duck-soo, for alleged incompetence and coverage failures.

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The dueling motions underscored deepening political bickering forward of the parliamentary elections subsequent April. The vote is seen as a midterm referendum on Yoon’s presidency as he struggles to navigate post-pandemic financial woes and escalating tensions with nuclear-armed North Korea. Yoon could have a tough time getting any of his agenda handed until his Folks Energy Occasion (PPP) can win a majority within the Nationwide Meeting.

Yoon, who’s at present in New York attending the U.N. Common Meeting, is extensively anticipated to reject the decision to dismiss Han, who has been a straightforward goal for the opposition.

The Democratic Occasion submitted the movement looking for Han’s ouster on Monday, hours after Yoon’s authorities submitted its movement requesting lawmakers to carry Lee’s immunity.

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Lawmakers voted 175-116 in favor of pushing for Han’s dismissal. The movement, signed by 168 opposition lawmakers, alleged that Han and different Cupboard members prompted “disaster for folks’s lives, democracy and peace on the Korean Peninsula” and “constantly demonstrated incompetence, inaction and irresponsibility.”