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Rep. Choo Kyung-ho of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) attends a general assembly meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul on November 4. / Photo by Lee Byung-hwa

Tensions in South Korean politics escalated Tuesday as the special counsel investigating the December 3 martial law case filed an arrest warrant for former floor leader Choo Kyung-ho, prompting a furious response from the ruling People Power Party (PPP).

The PPP denounced the move as a politically motivated “foregone conclusion” and boycotted President Lee Jae-myung’s policy speech on the 2026 budget in protest. Party leaders vowed to launch an all-out fight against what they called the Lee administration’s “authoritarian rule.”

PPP Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk urged lawmakers to unite, saying during a general assembly meeting, “This is war. It’s time to muster every ounce of strength to bring down the Lee government.” He added, “If we don’t fight, the people won’t fight. But if we do, the people will rise with us.”

Floor leader Song Eon-seok called the arrest warrant “a fabricated and pre-determined document,” accusing the special counsel of conducting “a politically retaliatory investigation.” He warned that if “the president and the ruling camp refuse to respect the opposition, the opposition has no reason to respect them,” vowing to resist what he described as “a reckless regime bent on destroying the judiciary and steering Korea toward one-party rule.”

The arrest request marks the second such case involving a sitting PPP lawmaker since the Lee administration’s special investigations began, following a similar warrant in August against former floor leader Kwon Seong-dong over alleged illegal political funds.

The party has also condemned other probes targeting senior figures, including former presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo, who faces election law charges, and former interim leader Kwon Young-se, under police investigation for alleged holiday gift violations. Song dismissed these as “blatantly selective prosecutions.”

Speaking to reporters, Choo Kyung-ho criticized the latest move as “a result tailored to the Democratic Party’s demands,” but said he would “face it head-on without hiding behind parliamentary immunity.”