Two independent lawmakers involved in a bribery scandal connected to the main opposition Democratic Party's 2021 leadership election have lashed out against the prosecution after a motion seeking consent for their arrest was reported to parliament on Tuesday.

In a Facebook post, Youn Kwan-suk said the request for a warrant to arrest a sitting lawmaker who poses no flight risk can only be viewed as politically motivated, noting that the warrant request was made just two days after he was questioned.

He vowed to prove his innocence and fight an unfair investigation aimed at clamping down the political opposition.

Rep. Lee Sung-man also issued a statement, insisting that prosecutors have no interest in finding out the truth but are bent on embarrassing him and the opposition camp.

He said they were abusing judicial power and disrupting constitutional order and vowed to exert efforts to uphold judicial justice and prevent a retreat in democracy.

The pair who left the DP after the allegations surfaced are accused of involvement in the distribution of cash envelopes to help elect Song Young-gil as party chair in the 2021 vote.