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National Assembly approves arrest of ex-DP lawmaker over alleged bribery

Published: 24 Feb. 2026, 17:02

Rep. Kang Sun-woo answers questions from reporters before entering the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Public Crime Investigation Unit in western Seoul on Jan. 20. [YONHAP]

The National Assembly on Tuesday approved a motion to arrest Rep. Kang Sun-woo over bribery allegations related to a nomination by the Democratic Party (DP).

Kang, now an independent lawmaker who formerly belonged to the DP, is accused of receiving 100 million won ($68,300) in exchange for supporting the nomination of former Seoul city councilor Kim Kyung as a DP candidate ahead of the 2022 local elections. Kang was ousted from the party after the allegations surfaced last month.

The arrest motion passed in a 164-87 vote with three abstentions and nine invalid ballots during a parliamentary plenary session.

With the motion's passage, a court will hold a hearing to determine whether to issue a warrant to formally arrest Kang.

By law, sitting lawmakers are immune from arrest while parliament is in session and can only be put under arrest with consent from the National Assembly.

The DP, which currently holds a parliamentary majority, earlier decided not to adopt an official party stance on the motion, allowing its party lawmakers to vote according to their own judgment.

The arrest motion was submitted to the National Assembly earlier this month after prosecutors sought an arrest warrant for Kang.

Yonhap