Rep. Song Kwang-ho, center, of the ruling Saenuri Party talks to lawmakers from the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy ahead of a vote on whether to agree on issuance of an arrest warrant against him during the National Assembly plenary session in Seoul, Wednesday.

/ Yonhap



By Jun Ji-hye

The National Assembly on Wednesday voted down an arrest motion against Rep. Song Kwang-ho of the ruling Saenuri Party, who was accused of having accepted bribes from a local railway parts supplier.

The governing party and the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) conducted a full-member vote at a plenary session in which 223 of 300 lawmakers participated. Among them, only 73 lawmakers voted for the motion, while 118 voted against it.

Rep. Song is alleged to have received bribes worth 55 million won ($54,000) from a rail track component manufacturer in return for business favors.

"I did not expect the motion to be rejected," Song said after the vote. "I'm thankful that a considerable number of my fellow lawmakers voted against it."

He insisted that he had never received any gifts or money.

"I am still willing to cooperate with an investigation by the prosecution," he said.

After the prosecution requested an arrest warrant for Song, he said he wanted to appear in court, voluntarily, when it was in session to determine the warrant's validity.

However, the court clarified that it cannot hold the session unless the Assembly passes the arrest motion.

Under the current law, parliamentary approval is essential for a sitting lawmaker to be arrested. The motion must pass with more than half of lawmakers in attendance and more than half in favor of the motion.

The rejection of the arrest motion against Song is expected to add fuel to criticism surrounding lawmakers who critics say abuse privileges.

The decision also stands in contrast to the initial position of the ruling party.

"We do not want to protect our own members if they are involved with corruption," the Saenuri Party had said in a statement earlier. "We will follow the law and principles."

In response to the unexpected results, the NPAD criticized the ruling party, saying the Saenuri Party was "two-faced."

The motion was initially expected to earn parliamentary approval as the rival parties, which had been at odds over a special bill on the Sewol ferry disaster, agreed to handle the motion together in accordance with "principle."

Meanwhile, also on Wednesday, the Assembly passed a motion to appoint Kwon Soon-il as a Supreme Court justice.

Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye