South Korean legislators have cast their votes in favor of removing the immunity from arrest for the opposition leader.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — In a surprise outcome, South Korea’s opposition-controlled parliament on Thursday voted to pass a motion submitted by the government that allows for the potential arrest of the country’s leading opposition figure, Lee Jae-myung, who faces a widening investigation over corruption allegations.

The lawmakers voted in favor of removing Lee’s immunity to arrest by a margin of 149-136. This decision enables the Seoul Central District Court to proceed with a hearing regarding the prosecutors’ request for an arrest warrant. Lee has held the position of chairperson of the Democratic Party since August of the previous year.

It was uncertain when the hearing would occur or the likelihood of the court issuing an arrest warrant for Lee. This uncertainty arose after Lee was hospitalized on Monday due to a hunger strike lasting several weeks, which he undertook to protest President Yoon Suk Yeol’s conservative domestic and foreign policies.

Lee, a liberal individual who had previously expressed his willingness to waive his immunity from arrest due to his strong belief in proving his innocence, implored lawmakers to reject the motion on Wednesday. In a Facebook message, he stated that his potential arrest would only serve to empower prosecutors’ biased investigation.

Lee, who was a close runner-up to Yoon in the presidential election held in March of the previous year, is currently under investigation by prosecutors for multiple criminal accusations. These allegations involve claims that he granted illegal advantages to a private investor who gained substantial profits from a questionable real estate venture in Seongnam, a city where Lee served as mayor for ten years until 2018. Additionally, prosecutors suspect that Lee exerted pressure on a local entrepreneur to make illicit payments amounting to millions of dollars to North Korea, with the intention of arranging a visit that ultimately did not occur.

Prior to Thursday’s vote, certain members of Lee’s party who advocate for reform urged him to remain faithful to his previous statements and openly support the motion calling for his arrest. They believed that this would assist in garnering public support for the Democrats, which has been declining since his defeat in the presidential election, and dispel any doubts that he was engaging in a hunger strike to evade arrest.

Lee has connected his hunger strike to the deteriorating economy and various foreign policy choices made by Yoon. These include the government’s decision not to object to Japan’s release of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea. Additionally, Lee has accused Yoon of escalating tensions with North Korea through actions such as increasing military training and security cooperation with the United States and Japan.

Courts are prohibited from conducting hearings on prosecutors’ arrest warrant requests for lawmakers during ongoing sessions, unless the assembly grants permission through a vote. In February, the Democratic Party prevented prosecutors from arresting Lee in a prior attempt.

On Thursday, lawmakers also approved a motion calling on Yoon to dismiss his prime minister, Han Duck-soo, due to accusations of incompetence and policy shortcomings.

The conflicting actions highlighted the increasing political disagreements leading up to the parliamentary elections scheduled for April next year. These elections are considered a midterm evaluation of Yoon’s presidency, as he faces challenges in dealing with the economic consequences of the pandemic and rising tensions with North Korea, which possesses nuclear weapons.

Yoon, who alerted global leaders about a possible collaboration in weapons between North Korea and Russia during the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday, is highly anticipated to decline the request to remove Han from his position. Han has often been criticized by the opposition.

The motion to remove Han was submitted by the Democratic Party on Monday, shortly after Yoon’s government submitted a motion to lift Lee’s immunity from arrest.

Lawmakers voted 175-116 in favor of pushing for Han’s dismissal. The motion, which was signed by 168 opposition lawmakers, alleged that the Cabinet led by Han caused “crisis for people’s lives, democracy and peace on the Korean Peninsula” and “consistently demonstrated incompetence, inaction and irresponsibility.”