South Korea's National Assembly on Thursday approved a motion to arrest Rep. Choo Kyung-ho, former floor leader of the main opposition People Power Party, over allegations that he disrupted a parliamentary vote to lift martial law declared by former President Yoon Suk Yeol on December 3 of last year.
The motion passed with 172 of the 180 ballots cast in favor. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea holds 166 seats. Lawmakers from the People Power Party — numbering 107 — did not cast their ballots.
The arrest motion against Choo stems from allegations brought by the special counsel investigating last year’s martial law incident.
The special counsel claims that Choo, who resigned as the People Power Party’s floor leader shortly after Yoon’s martial law declaration, changed the locations of his party’s internal meetings several times in an attempt to delay the Assembly’s vote on lifting martial law.
The special counsel argues that this maneuvering amounted to obstruction of parliamentary proceedings and involvement in “performing major duties in an act of insurrection.” The People Power Party rejects the allegations, calling them an unfounded attempt to criminalize political disagreement.
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