PPP likely to support arrest of fellow lawmaker

People Power Party Rep. Ha Young-je [YONHAP]

Lawmakers in the People Power Party (PPP) will likely vote for the arrest warrant of fellow PPP Rep. Ha Young-je, who faces charges of corruption.

The move sharply contrasts with the Democratic Party (DP)'s earlier rejections of attempts to arrest two of its own lawmakers in separate cases.

According to several sources within the party who spoke with the JoongAng Ilbo this week, many PPP lawmakers said they would approve of Ha’s arrest motion because failing to do so would be “self-contradictory.”

PPP lawmakers in the past blasted the DP for voting against the arrest motions for DP Chairman Lee Jae-myung and DP Rep. Roh Woong-rae on corruption allegations.

Prosecutors on Monday accused Ha, who represents South Gyeongsang’s Sacheon, Namhae County and Hadong County, of violating the Political Funds Act and the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act by allegedly receiving kickbacks from several people over numerous occasions from 2020 to 2022.

Prosecutors said they would seek a pre-trial detention warrant.

Under Korean law, incumbent lawmakers have immunity from being arrested or detained while the National Assembly is in session unless they receive parliamentary consent.

Parliamentary consent requires a majority vote with a majority of lawmakers present.

If the National Assembly approves, a local court holds a hearing to decide whether to issue the arrest warrant.

Ha’s pre-trial detention warrant is expected to be formally presented to the National Assembly on Thursday, after which the motion will be put on a vote on March 30.

How the DP will respond remains to be seen.

A lawmaker from the PPP’s leadership told the JoongAng Ilbo that the party likely won’t adopt an official stance on whether to vote for or against the motion, rather leaving it up to the lawmakers to make their own decisions.

But so far, many have expressed their intent to vote for Ha’s arrest warrant, the lawmaker said on condition of anonymity.

Another three-term PPP lawmaker told the paper that “almost every” PPP lawmaker will vote for the motion.

Ha, on his part, implored PPP lawmakers in a group text message Tuesday to vote against the motion, claiming that prosecutors were “exaggerating.”

Prosecutors believe Ha received 70 million won ($53,000) from a preliminary candidate running for the Gyeongsangnam-do Council in last year’s local elections in return for helping the candidate win a party ticket.

Whether the candidate actually won a party ticket was not disclosed.

Prosecutors are also accusing Ha of receiving 57.5 million won from his aide and the head of a local government office for favors.

BY LEE SUNG-EUN, KANG CHAN-HO [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]