The South Korean National Assembly passed an arrest request for Gang Sun-woo, an independent lawmaker, who is under suspicion of receiving a 100 million won bribe from former city councilor Kim Gyeong in exchange for political favor ahead of the 2022 local elections. During the session, there were 164 votes in favor, 87 against, and 9 invalid votes out of 263 total ballots cast. This approval means that Gang's potential arrest will proceed to a judicial review where the court will assess the merits of his arrest warrant.

Gang is alleged to have been involved in a cash transaction in January 2022 at a hotel in Seoul, where he allegedly accepted 100 million won in exchange for facilitating Kim’s candidacy for the district council election in Gangseo. The prosecution had previously requested arrest warrants for both Gang and Kim based on these allegations. Just prior to the vote, Gang asserted his innocence, claiming he had returned significant amounts of money before and challenging the notion that he would solicit a bribe to secure a nomination. His remarks drew mixed reactions from other lawmakers, highlighting a charged political atmosphere.

With the approval of the arrest request, the court will conduct a hearing to determine whether Gang should be detained. This event not only raises serious questions about political corruption in South Korea but also highlights the complexities of accountability for public officials amid allegations of misconduct. As this situation unfolds, it may impact public perception of the political establishment and prompt discussions around reforming measures regarding political donations and integrity in candidate nominations.