May 02, 2024
Analysis

The days of ROK politicians visiting North Korea may be a thing of the past

Trips to DPRK have long been way to win approval, but Lee Jae-myung’s legal troubles suggest costs now outweigh risks

In a stunning development, South Korea’s National Assembly voted last week to strip Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung of his parliamentary immunity from arrest, in part over allegations that he helped to illegally send millions of dollars to North Korea to secure permission to visit.

On Wednesday, Lee narrowly avoided being detained when a Seoul court rejected prosecutors’ request for an arrest warrant.

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