Parliament rejects arrest request of opposition leader in graft probe

South Korean lawmakers on Monday narrowly voted down a motion to lift the parliamentary immunity of opposition leader Lee Jae-myung over corruption
charges, fuelling criticism that his party abused its majority power to evade criminal investigations.
Lee, chair of the main opposition Democratic Party who lost to President Yoon Suk-yeol in last year’s election, faces several charges including bribery, breach of duty and conflicts of interests in a graft probe from his previous stint as mayor of Seongnam, just south of Seoul.
Members of South Korea’s parliament enjoy the privilege to avoid arrest, and the government requested their consent earlier this month to waive his immunity so that a court can review an arrest warrant from prosecutors.
The motion was rejected by a slight margin of 139 to 129 in a secret ballot in the 300-member single chamber, where the Democrats hold a 169-seat majority.
It needed at least 150 votes to pass.