A court on Wednesday denied a warrant to arrest People Power Party Rep. Choo Kyung-ho over allegations that he was involved in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed attempt to impose martial law.
The Seoul Central District Court denied the warrant, saying there remains room for dispute regarding the facts of the case and the applicable legal principles. The court also cited insufficient grounds for the need for his arrest, such as the risk he would flee or destroy evidence.
The charge centers on allegations that Choo, who was the PPP's floor leader at the time, blocked party lawmakers from participating in a parliamentary vote to lift the martial law decree issued on Dec. 3, 2024.
Choo, once considered a key ally of Yoon, is accused of deliberately and repeatedly changing the venue of an emergency party meeting on the night of Dec. 3 at the request of the then president.
Due to the changes, only 18 of the PPP's 108 lawmakers took part in the parliamentary vote to lift Yoon's decree, which passed unanimously early the next morning among the 190 lawmakers present.
The National Assembly approved a motion for Choo's arrest Thursday. By law, sitting lawmakers are immune from arrest while parliament is in session and can only be put under arrest with consent from the Assembly.
Choo has rejected the allegations, arguing that he changed the party meeting's venue from the National Assembly to the party's headquarters as police restricted access to the parliament compound. (Yonhap)
