Key Takeaways
- The Seoul Central District Court rejected the arrest warrant against opposition leader Lee Jae-myung.
- Charges include breach of trust and bribery, but no clear evidence was presented.
- Lawmakers are generally exempt from arrest during National Assembly sessions unless peers consent.
Seoul: A South Korean court on Wednesday rejected a warrant to arrest Lee Jae-myung, chief of the main opposition Democratic Party.
The Seoul Central District Court dismissed the arrest warrant.
The prosecution had requested the warrant last week, accusing Lee of breach of trust and bribery.
The Lee side completely denied the charges as no clear evidence had been found to support them despite hundreds of raids.
It was the first time in the country’s modern history that a main opposition party chief appeared in a court hearing for an arrest warrant.
The country’s parliament voted for the arrest of Lee last week with 149 in favor and 136 against.
By law, incumbent lawmakers are exempt from arrest while the National Assembly is in session and can be detained only when peer lawmakers consent to it. The Democratic Party controls a majority in the 298-member assembly.
Lee has been under medical treatment for recovery after ending his hunger strike last Saturday.
