Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said on Sept. 2023 regarding the approval of his arrest warrant, “This was done in collusion with some within the party and the prosecution,” and stated, “I must hold them accountable.” As criticism emerged from the non-Lee Jae-myung faction labeling it as 'divisive remarks,' Lee said, “It’s all in the past” and moved to mitigate the situation.
During a YouTube broadcast on the 5th titled 'Mae Bool Show,' Lee stated, “They voted on the (arrest warrant) in the National Assembly, and I felt it would be approved because I had heard certain things,” expressing suspicion of collusion between the prosecution and party figures.
Lee stated, “For example, in June (2023), I met with a prominent figure in the Democratic Party who told me, ‘You will be subject to judicial processing, so step down, or if you don’t, it seems like something will happen, so resign.’ They even specified a timeline,” and added, “Later, I found it aligns almost perfectly with the timing of the warrant request.”
Using the term 'black market,' Lee asserted that those lawmakers who voted in favor of the arrest warrant should be held accountable. He stated, “If the party is used as a tool for personal desires and colludes with rival parties and violent groups, what will happen to the party?” He emphasized, “While I didn’t specifically remove the lawmakers who supported the arrest warrant, it is necessary to hold them accountable for a democratic party.”
In September 2023, the prosecution requested an arrest warrant for Lee on charges related to remittances to North Korea and corruption in the Baekhyeon-dong development project, and the National Assembly held a vote on the arrest warrant. Although Lee appealed against the disapproval, it was approved with 149 votes in favor, 136 against, 6 abstentions, and 4 invalid votes out of 295 present. It analyzed that at least 31 defecting votes emerged from within the Democratic Party at that time.
Following Lee’s remarks, the Choil Meeting, a group of the non-Lee Jae-myung faction, issued a statement criticizing him, stating, “To claim without any evidence that fellow lawmakers colluded with the prosecution or the People Power Party amounts to personal insult against colleagues,” and expressed outrage over his divisive remarks while discussing party unity.
As the controversy intensified, Lee also personally took steps to address it. Meeting with reporters that afternoon, Lee stated, “It’s already in the past,” adding, “What we need to do going forward is to gather all the party’s resources to overcome the chaotic situation.”