14 potential candidates give up immunity from arrest following PPP leader’s proposal

Dec 28, 2023, 12:54 pm

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Han Dong-hoon, chief of the ruling People Power Party’s (PPP) emergency committee, heads to the National Assembly on Dec. 27, 2023./ Source: Yonhap News

By AsiaToday reporter Park Ji-eun

A total of 14 potential candidates for the upcoming general elections announced Wednesday a joint declaration to give up their immunity from arrest. The moves a day after Han Dong-hoon, chief of the ruling People Power Party’s (PPP) emergency committee, proposed to give up his immunity from arrest in his inauguration. Other potential candidates of the ruling party are expected to make declaration of agreement successively. Starting with the announcement of giving up the immunity from arrest, PPP plans to differentiate itself from the opposition bloc in the general elections through various reform measures.

The 14 potential candidates of the ruling party and former officials of the presidential office include Kwon Oh-hyun for Seoul’s Seongdong-gu A constituency, Kim Gi-heung for Yeonsu-gu B constituency in Incheon, Kim Bo-hyun for Gimpo City A, Kim Seong-yong for Songpa-gu C constituency, Kim In-gyu for Busan’s Dong-gu constituency, Bae Cheol-soon for Euichang-gu constituency in South Gyeonsang Province, Shin Jae-kyung for Incheon’s Namdong-gu B constituency, Lee Dong-suk for Chungju city, Lee Byung-hoon for Pohang’s Ullung-gun constituency, Lee Seung-hwan for Seoul’s Jungnang-gu B constituency, Lee Chang-jin for Busan’s Yeonje-gu constituency, Jeon Ji-hyun for Guri constituency in Gyeonggi Province, Choi Ji-woo for Danyang-gun of Jecheon city in North Chungcheong Province, and Heo Cheong-hoe for Gapyeong-gun constituency.

“The immunity from arrest is a privilege with a good purpose to work for the people, but it has turned into a private privilege of a large opposition party,” potential candidate Kim Gi-heung wrote on his Facebook account Tuesday, adding, “Abuse of political means must be removed.”

Interim PPP chief Han Dong-hoon vowed to select candidates who give up their immunity from arrest for the elections, in his inauguration speech on Tuesday. “I will only pick nominees who have given up their immunity from arrest, and take strong measures if they do not keep their promises,” he said.

Earlier, active members of the ruling party condemned the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) and DP Chairman Lee Jae-myung in the face of a voting race at the National Assembly’s plenary session on the arrest of the DP leader Lee, pledging to give up their immunity from arrest. Back in March, 51 people including lawmaker Kim Hyung-dong, Han’s chief of staff, first pledged to give up the privilege of non-arrest. As of July, a total of 110 members of the PPP joined in the pledge.

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