The main opposition People Power Party on Tuesday boycotted President Lee Jae Myung's budget speech in protest against a special counsel team's decision to seek an arrest warrant for one of the party's lawmakers implicated in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's attempt to impose martial law last December.
The special counsel team investigating various allegations surrounding Yoon's martial law decree requested a warrant for the arrest of People Power Party Rep. Choo Kyung-ho, prompting the party to condemn the move as "vicious political retaliation."
The main opposition party decided to boycott the budget speech and stage a rally at the National Assembly in protest against the warrant, said Rep. Choi Soo-jin, the party's chief floor spokesperson, speaking to reporters following a general meeting of party lawmakers on Monday.
Choo is accused of obstructing other People Power Party lawmakers from taking part in a parliamentary vote to lift the Dec. 3 martial law decree by changing the venue of an emergency general meeting of party lawmakers three times. The special counsel team suspects that the then-floor leader repeatedly changed the venue at Yoon's request.
