DPK averts crisis following court's rejection of Lee's arrest; focus shifts to unity
Hong Ihk-pyo, new floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, speaks during a meeting of the party's Supreme Council at the National Assembly in Seoul, Sept. 27. Yonhap
The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has narrowly averted what could have been its most significant factional split, after a court rejected an arrest warrant sought for its leader, Lee Jae-myung, with the focus now shifting to building his leadership for next year's general elections.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Seoul Central District Court dismissed the warrant sought by the prosecution against Lee over corruption charges, a decision that spared the former presidential candidate and the DPK from potentially facing their most significant crisis yet.
The court's decision came after the DPK-controlled National Assembly voted to lift Lee's immunity to arrest, in an unexpected outcome that reflects growing divisions within the party between lawmakers aligned with Lee and those who are not.
Despite what some hard-line pro-Lee faction lawmakers referred to as "betrayal" for voting in favor of the motion in anonymous voting, it is widely expected that the party will now first focus on uniting for April's parliamentary elections.
Rep. Hong Ihk-pyo, elected as the new floor leader on Tuesday and one of Lee's closest allies, has expressed his determination to support Lee's leadership. The three-term lawmaker was chosen after his predecessor, Rep. Park Kwang-on, resigned to take responsibility for the motion's passage.
"I will create momentum and a unified force within the Democratic Party of Korea so that we can win next year's general elections with Chairman Lee Jae-myung," Hong said in his acceptance speech.
The DPK also witnessed a rising number of new party members following the parliamentary passage of the motion, suggesting that the solidarity of the pro-Lee faction has strengthened.
However, some DPK lawmakers close to Lee have shown resentment and hinted at possibly seeking out those who voted in favor of the motion, suggesting that the faction split could possibly continue.
The motion needed at least 148 votes in favor to pass. Given that Lee's DPK has 168 lawmakers in the 298-member National Assembly, the result suggests that at least 39 DPK lawmakers broke away from the party line and voted in favor, abstained or cast invalid votes.
"Reconciliation may not be possible forever," said a DPK lawmaker who requested anonymity, citing a previous case nearly two decades ago in which some party lawmakers were excluded after voting in favor of an impeachment motion against then President Roh Moo-hyun.
Some DPK officials also hinted at the possibility of excluding non-Lee faction lawmakers from nominations ahead of the election.
Lee Jae-myung, center, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), walks out of a detention facility in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, Sept. 27. Yonhap
Ahead of Thursday's vote, some reformist members of the DPK, such as Rep. Cho Eung-con, openly called for Lee to stay true to his word of giving up the privilege of arrest immunity and endorsing the motion to rally public support for the party.
Following the parliament's decision, Lee ended his hunger strike that he had launched since Aug. 31, in protest of what he called the "incompetent and violent" government of Yoon Suk Yeol and a slew of his policies.
Despite some lingering resentment, Lee is highly likely to focus on unity, as the election is only six months away.
"Chairman Lee has already stated his commitment to do whatever it takes to win the general election," said a DPK official on the condition of anonymity. "We cannot afford to leave factional divisions unresolved if we want to secure victory in the upcoming general election."
Nonetheless, risks regarding Lee's legal problems persist as he has already been indicted for two other separate charges -- an election law violation and corruption case.
Legal experts also say the prosecution will proceed with the third indictment. Lee has been accused of breach of trust, bribery and other charges stemming from his time as mayor of Seongnam, south of Seoul, years ago in connection with a scandal-ridden land development project and his alleged involvement in a company's illegal cash remittance to North Korea.
There is also the possibility of the prosecution re-seeking an arrest warrant for Lee.
Most political analysts had earlier predicted that Lee would not step down from his post, regardless of the court's decision, with his course of action most likely to determine the party's fate in the upcoming election.
Bae Cheol-ho, a senior analyst at the Realmeter polling agency, has said the DPK's approval rating is likely to continue on a downward trend due to Lee's legal problems and the party's internal split.
It would be considered a loss for the DPK if it fails to secure a majority of 170 seats in the upcoming election, with some forecasts suggesting the possibility of both the DPK and the ruling People Power Party (PPP) securing around 140 seats each.
Some PPP lawmakers cautiously predict that the court's decision may not be a direct barometer of next year's elections and could even be favorable in the long term.
"Conflicts within the DPK are inevitable," said a PPP lawmaker on the condition of anonymity, adding that Lee's leadership will eventually lose steam. (Yonhap)