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National Assembly votes to allow arrest of PPP lawmaker accused of abetting Dec. 3 martial law

Published: 27 Nov. 2025, 19:01

Rep. Choo Kyung-ho of the People Power Party delivers a personal statement regarding his arrest motion during a plenary session at the National Assembly building in western Seoul on Nov. 27. [KIM SEONG-RYONG]

The ruling-party-led National Assembly voted Thursday to allow the arrest of People Power Party (PPP) Rep. Choo Kyung-ho, who prosecutors say helped coordinate attempts to enforce last year’s short-lived martial law order, triggering a walkout and fierce protests from the main opposition party.

With a detention hearing set for early next month, the political confrontation over last year’s martial law crisis is likely to sharpen for both the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and opposition blocs as the anniversary nears.

Lawmakers approved the motion after passing a set of seven livelihood-related bills, moving quickly into a vote that had loomed over the chamber for days.

PPP lawmakers exited before ballots were cast. Of the 180 votes submitted, 172 supported the motion, while four opposed it, two abstained and two were ruled invalid.

Although the ballot was secret, the minor conservative Reform Party later said none of its three lawmakers voted against the motion, suggesting that some lawmakers in the broader liberal bloc — including the DP and the Rebuilding Korea Party — had broken ranks.

Before the vote, Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho laid out the prosecution’s rationale.

“[Choo] received a request from [former president] Yoon Suk Yeol to cooperate in the illegal martial law,” he said, adding that Choo “carried out important duties in the insurrection by creating confusion over where the party caucus would meet and by encouraging lawmakers to leave the main chamber.”

Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho explains the arrest motion for People Power Party Rep. Choo Kyung-ho ahead of a vote during a plenary session at the National Assembly building in western Seoul on Nov. 27. [YONHAP]

The remarks sparked immediate uproar. PPP lawmakers shouted back, calling Jung “the main culprit in the Daejang-dong appeal withdrawal” — alluding to a development scandal involving DP figures that they say Jung improperly handled — and demanding his resignation.

DP lawmakers responded with their own questions, shouting, “Isn’t [the PPP] a political party that violated the Constitution?” and “Were you trying to arrest all of us?”

Choo used a personal statement to challenge the allegations.

"The special counsel mobilized a large investigation team for nearly half a year but failed to prove any conspiracy related to martial law or identify any lawmaker who faced obstruction during the vote," he said.

He argued that the case reflected “a political scheme to brand the PPP as an unconstitutional party and sever the tradition of conservative politics.”

Though Choo publicly declared that he would not rely on his parliamentary immunity, the PPP adopted a party line to abstain from the vote and staged a coordinated walkout.

People Power Party Chair Jang Dong-hyeok, third from left, floor leader Song Eon-seog, second from left, and other party lawmakers hold a protest in front of the National Assembly chamber in western Seoul on Nov. 27, denouncing the handling of Rep. Choo Kyung-ho’s arrest motion. [YONHAP]

Outside the chamber, PPP floor leader Song Eon-seog denounced the proceedings, saying that “the special counsel’s claim that the vote was obstructed is political fabrication and fiction” and “the only goal is to destroy the opposition and pursue one-party rule.”

A Seoul Central District Court judge will hold a detention hearing on Dec. 2. In high-profile cases such as this, rulings often come late that night or early the following morning, suggesting a decision may be issued around Dec. 3, the first anniversary of former President Yoon's imposition of martial law.

An approval of the warrant could deepen the PPP’s political difficulties months after its defeat in the June presidential election.

The ruling bloc has already used the term “insurrectionist party” to frame its criticism, and DP leader Jung Chung-rae has repeatedly signaled that he may pursue Constitutional Court proceedings to dissolve the PPP as an unconstitutional political party.

Rep. Jung Chung-rae, leader of the Democratic Party, speaks during a general assembly of party lawmakers at the National Assembly building in western Seoul on Nov. 27. [KIM SEONG-RYONG]

PPP chief Jang Dong-hyeok met with senior party members for lunch on Thursday, during which they assessed how the party should respond to either outcome.

Discussions included the view that the warrant posed no problem "because it's based on speculation by the special counsel," according to PPP senior official Shin Dong-uk.

But another PPP official expressed concern, warning that “if Choo is detained, investigators will soon target the party’s leadership at the time and the lawmakers who did not participate in the vote to lift martial law. The party will collapse in no time.”

If the court rejects the warrant, PPP officials say they will mount an aggressive counteroffensive.

One senior party figure said that “if the warrant is dismissed, it will show that the DP’s accusations of insurrection were unfounded” and that “the political special counsel, the Daejang-dong appeal withdrawal and housing policy failures will all become targets of our response.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM GYU-TAE, PARK JUN-KYU [[email protected]]