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A motion to arrest Democratic Party lawmaker Noh Woong-rae, who was charged with receiving 60 million won in bribes and illegal political funds, was rejected by the National Assembly.
Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon insisted on the need for arrest, saying that there is also a recording file that accepts money, but it is interpreted that the Democratic Party lawmakers voted against it.
This is Reporter Suh So-Wook.
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Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon, somewhat unusually, mentioned a recording file obtained during the investigation.
Rep. Roh explained the contents, saying that the scene of receiving a request and receiving money was intact.
[Han Dong-hoon/Minister of Justice: Representative Noh Woong-rae's voice and even the rustling of money envelopes are recorded as they are.
I have not seen a case where such clear evidence came out in a bribery case.]
Rep. Roh appealed for a negative vote, saying that it was a work made by the prosecution.
Prosecutors argued that the recording was made up of new content just because there was a recording file.
[Noh Woong-rae/Democratic Party member: It intentionally and viciously neutralizes my defense rights, and I can't help but doubt whether the transcript really exists.] The
result of the vote is negative.
Of the 271 present, there were 101 votes in favor, 161 votes against, and 9 abstentions.
It is the fourth time that a motion for the arrest of a member of the National Assembly has been passed in the 21st National Assembly, but it is the first time that it has been rejected.
It seems that a large number of Democratic Party lawmakers voted against it, but it seems to be because there is a consensus that the prosecution is suppressing the entire Democratic Party, not just Roh individually.
There seems to be a side effect that Minister Han explained the charges in detail.
[Park Hong-geun / Representative of the Democratic Party of Korea: Isn't it that the flow that should be rejected is created in the explanation of Minister Han Dong-hoon's proposal...
.]
Minister Han left the National Assembly, saying that the public would know that it was a wrong decision.
(Video coverage: Yang Doo-won, video editing: Won-yang Won)