Hong Jun-pyo Targets Kim Jong-in: "A Bribery Convict Talking About Party Reform? Unacceptable"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] Former Liberty Korea Party leader Hong Joon-pyo sharpened his words on the 26th, targeting former Future United Party general election committee chairman Kim Jong-in, saying, "If you have any shame, please stop lurking around our party."

On the morning of the same day, former leader Hong said on his Facebook, "I can no longer tolerate those who fill their old ambitions under the pretense of reform in politics."

He made additional revelations regarding the suspicion of Kim's involvement in the Donghwa Bank bribery case in April 1993. Hong recalled, "The chief prosecutor for former economic chief Kim Jong-in was Prosecutor Ham Seung-hee, who was two years senior and a special prosecutor with discipline and skills," adding, "At that time, I was dispatched to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to investigate prosecutors involved in slot machine cases."

He shared a behind-the-scenes story, saying, "Even after summoning former chief Kim Jong-in and conducting an overnight investigation, he did not confess. Prosecutor Ham intimidated him in the morning as he left the interrogation room, saying, 'Hong Joon-pyo specializes in investigating gangsters, so he conducts rough investigations.'"

Hong said, "When I entered, former chief Kim was quite nervous, and I asked him, 'Aren't you ashamed to lie even though you are the grandson of the great Kim Byung-ro?'"

He continued, "I suggested, 'If you resist more, the amount of bribes will increase, so why not end it with what has been tracked so far?'" and added, "After thinking for a moment, he said, 'Let's do that.'"

Hong said, "I immediately reported to senior Ham, and the attending clerk promptly took the confession statement, which was the whole story of the Donghwa Bank slush fund case," adding, "In February 2012, when Kim raised issues about my nomination during Park Geun-hye's emergency committee, I said the same thing."

He said, "Isn't it time for someone who has been a reform target as a bribery convict and has moved between parties in Korean politics, achieving an unprecedented five terms as a proportional representative, to be satisfied and stop?"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.