Prosecutors seek arrest of hospitalized South Korean opposition leader

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) — South Korean prosecutors on Monday sought an arrest warrant for opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who is in the hospital after his health went on the decline during a hunger strike.

Lee, an ex-presidential candidate and chairman of the country's main opposition Democratic Party (DP), has been on an anti-government hunger strike for the past 19 days.

He is accused of breach of trust, bribery, and illegal cash remittance to North Korea, he was taken to the hospital on Monday as his health deteriorated suddenly.

The arrest warrant was sought by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office, which accused Lee of "committing breach of trust worth 20 billion won ($15.06 million)," the Seoul-based Yonhap News reported.

Lee is on hunger strike against what he called the "incompetent and violent" government of President Yoon Suk Yeol and has vowed to continue the hunger strike from the hospital.

He has also been accused of "giving special treatment" to an apartment developer between 2014 and 2015 in the city of Seongnam, south Seoul, while serving as the city's mayor.

The opposition leader was "almost unconscious after showing a sharp drop in blood sugar levels" when he was rushed to hospital early Monday morning.

Lee was arrested in September last year for accepting bribes from the company and was additionally indicted in March in connection with the cash transfer case.

He had already been indicted in two corruption cases in March.

Meanwhile, the DP on Monday sought the dismissal of South Korean Prime Minister Han Duk-soo, calling on Yoon to "carry out a complete overhaul of the way he runs the government."

The motion filed by the DP is expected to be put to a vote during a plenary session Thursday.