Rep. Chu Kyung-ho of the People Power Party, for whom an arrest warrant has been requested on charges of obstructing the vote to lift martial law. Yonhap News

Rep. Chu Kyung-ho, former floor leader of the People Power Party, will undergo an arrest warrant review on the 2nd.

The warrant review for Rep. Chu Kyung-ho of the People Power Party, accused of obstructing the parliamentary vote to lift martial law during the December 3rd state of emergency, will be held this afternoon.

Senior Judge Lee Jung-jae of the Seoul Central District Court will preside over the suspect interrogation prior to detention (warrant review) at 3 p.m. today for Rep. Chu, who is accused of engaging in a crucial mission related to sedition.

Rep. Chu, who was the floor leader of the People Power Party at the time, is accused of obstructing the parliamentary vote to lift martial law by initially announcing the location of an emergency general meeting of lawmakers as the 'National Assembly' immediately after the declaration of martial law, then changing it to the 'Party Headquarters,' then back to the 'National Assembly,' and again to the 'Party Headquarters.'

In the process, only 18 out of 108 lawmakers from the People Power Party participated in the vote to lift martial law. Rep. Chu denies the charges entirely, stating, "If I intended to obstruct the vote, why would I have changed the location of the general meeting to the National Assembly?"

On the 27th of last month, Rep. Chu Kyung-ho countered, "They have fabricated a warrant by forcibly piecing together the ordinary activities and statements of a floor leader without presenting any evidence."

This is the first time a special prosecutor investigating sedition has requested an arrest warrant for a sitting lawmaker. The decision on whether to detain Rep. Chu is expected as early as tonight.

Editorial Department, Hankookmiilbo