The special counsel team led by Cho Eun-suk investigating the Dec. 3 emergency martial law case on the 7th indicted Choo Kyung-ho of the People Power Party without detention on charges of obstructing the vote to lift martial law.
Special Counsel Park Ji-young said at a briefing that day, "We indicted Rep. Choo without detention on charges of engaging in important duties related to insurrection in connection with obstructing the Dec. 3 emergency martial law vote."
The special counsel investigating the insurrection case determined that on Dec. 3 last year, when Choo, then the floor leader of the ruling party, repeatedly changed the location of a party caucus ahead of the National Assembly vote to lift emergency martial law, he obstructed other lawmakers' participation in the vote.
After receiving a phone request from former President Yoon Suk-yeol asking for cooperation with emergency martial law, Rep. Choo repeatedly changed the caucus location from the National Assembly → party headquarters → National Assembly → party headquarters. As a result, many People Power Party lawmakers did not attend the vote to lift martial law at the time. The National Assembly's resolution requesting termination passed with 190 present and 190 in favor, while 90 of the 108 People Power Party lawmakers did not participate.
The special counsel investigating the insurrection case sought an arrest warrant for Rep. Choo on the 3rd of last month on charges of engaging in important duties related to insurrection, but the Seoul Central District Court held a pretrial detention review (substantive warrant hearing) on the 2nd and dismissed it early the next day. The court said there is room for dispute over the charges and that Rep. Choo needs to exercise the right to defense while not in custody.