Democratic Party of Korea Faces Critical Test as Arrest Warrant for Representative Lee Jae-myeong is Examined

Democratic Party of Korea Faces Critical Moment as Arrest Warrant for Representative Lee Jae-myeong Looms

The Democratic Party of Korea is bracing itself for a potentially enormous upheaval that could have far-reaching consequences for the party’s future. The arrest warrant for Representative Lee Jae-myeong is set to be examined at the Seoul Central District Court on the 26th, presenting a dramatic turning point for the party.

Scheduled for 10 am, the examination of Representative Lee’s warrant could be affected by his current health condition, as he has been on a hunger strike. Should Representative Lee be unable to attend, the questioning may proceed with only his lawyer present. Alternatively, if Representative Lee expresses a desire to withdraw from the inquiry, it could be replaced by a document review.

If Representative Lee requests a postponement due to his health, the judge will review the possibility of rescheduling the examination after the Chuseok holiday.

Representative Lee commenced his hunger strike on the 31st of last month, but on the 23rd, after 24 days of fasting, he discontinued the strike upon medical advice and began a comprehensive recovery treatment plan.

Prior to this, on the 21st, the National Assembly passed a motion to arrest CEO Lee, who is facing charges of corruption related to the Baekhyeon-dong development project. The motion secured overwhelming support, with 295 out of 298 registered members voting in favor, reflecting significant internal divisions within the Democratic Party. Consequently, several key figures, including former floor leader Park Gwang-on, resigned to take responsibility for the motion’s passage.

In an effort to swiftly resolve the ensuing confusion, the Democratic Party established an election management committee to elect a new floor leader and set the election schedule for the 26th. As of the 24th, three lawmakers, Kim Min-seok, Nam In-soon, and Hong Ik-pyo, have declared their intentions to run for office. All three belong to the pro-Myung faction and are senior legislators with three terms under their belt.

However, the fallout from the arrest motion has led to threats and pressure within the party. Supreme Council Member Ko Min-jung, who voted against the motion, revealed that she has been inundated with text messages and calls, hinting at potential obstacles she may face in future elections. Meanwhile, another Supreme Council member, Goh, expressed his vote against the motion, fearing that people might interpret his stance differently.

The Democratic Party finds itself at a crossroad, with the National Assembly’s productivity paralyzed. The worst-case scenario for the party would be if Representative Lee gets arrested, as it could prompt fierce opposition and demands for the resignation of party leadership.

However, it is unlikely that the pro-Myung faction will give up easily. There are even rumors that Representative Lee could be nominated while in prison, bolstering his defense team’s efforts based on the presumption of innocence. On the other hand, if the arrest warrant is rejected, the existing power dynamics within the party are likely to remain unchanged. The key question now is whether Representative Lee will choose a more aggressive approach to eliminate internal strife or opt for a policy of inclusivity.

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The Democratic Party of Korea, which has gone into serious internal conflict due to the progress of the motion to arrest Representative Lee Jae-myeong, is once again facing a very large-scale variable with a ripple effect that could determine the life or death of the party on the 26th.

Representative Lee will be examined for warrant at the Seoul Central District Court at 10 am on the 26th.

Although the state of health of Representative Lee, who has been on hunger strike, is expected to vary in the review process, if Representative Lee does not appear, the questioning can be held with only the lawyer present, and if the Representative Lee expresses his intention. to abandon the query altogether, it is replaced by a document review.

In addition, if Rep. Lee requests to postpone the review due to his health condition, the judge will review whether to change the schedule, and there is a possibility that the date will be rescheduled after the Chuseok holiday.

Representative Lee started fasting on the 31st of last month, and on the 23rd, the 24th day of fasting, he stopped fasting on the recommendation of medical staff and began full-scale recovery treatment.

Before that, on the 21st, the National Assembly passed a motion to arrest CEO Lee, for whom an arrest warrant was requested on charges of ‘corruption in the Baekhyeon-dong development project’. As a result of the National Assembly holding a plenary session and voting, 295 out of 298 registered members voted to approve the motion to arrest Representative Lee with 149 votes in favor, 136 votes against, 6 abstentions, and 4 vote invalid.

When the motion to arrest was passed, the Democratic Party began looking for the legislators who voted to pass it, leading to a serious division in the party. Accordingly, the leadership of the National Assembly, including former floor leader Park Gwang-on, suddenly resigned on the day of the passage, taking responsibility for the passage. Accordingly, in order to resolve the confusion quickly, the Democratic Party formed an election management committee to elect the floor leader and confirmed the election schedule for the 26th. As of the 24th, three lawmakers, including Kim Min-seok, Nam In-soon, and Hong Ik-pyo, have announced their intention to run for office. These three people are classified as the pro-Myung faction (pro-Lee Jae-myung), and all are three-term senior legislators.

In relation to this, Supreme Council Member Ko Min-jung, who revealed that she had voted down the motion to arrest Representative Lee, said on the 22nd, “I am inundated with text messages from members’ the party is threatening to block my election in the next general. election.” I think receiving calls for his resignation from people means he has already lost trust. “I will follow the judgment of the party members,” he said.

Supreme Council member Goh said, “I voted no. People wander the edge of death, and like Roh Moo-hyun and Cho Kuk, I didn’t want to miss out. “But if I said this, would you believe me?”

After passing the motion to arrest Representative Lee, the Democratic Party was at a crossroads of division, and the National Assembly came to a standstill in the result, while the party in control held its breath and watched the opposition’s situation.

The worst case scenario for the Democratic Party is the arrest of Representative Lee. In this case, the non-Myung faction, which supports the mainstream party, including the pro-Myung faction, which is responsible for passing the arrest motion, is expected to launch a counterattack. There is also analysis that they will demand the resignation of all leadership and the change to an emergency response committee.

It is unlikely that the pro-Ming world will step down easily. There is even a rumor that ‘Rep. Lee will be nominated while in prison’ by strengthening Rep. Lee’s defense team by using the principle of presumption of innocence. On the other hand, if the arrest warrant is rejected, the current hegemony within the party is expected to be maintained. It appears that Representative Lee will begin a full-scale attempt to resolve internal strife, and the key question is whether he will take the sword to eliminate internal strife over whether to approve or reject the proposal, or choose a policy of inclusivity.

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