"Human Rights Violations... Shameful" Geum Tae-seop Criticizes 'Choo's Directive to Enact Law Targeting Han Dong-hoon'

Former Democratic Party lawmaker Geum Tae-seop attending the party meeting on February 18. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] Former Democratic Party lawmaker Geum Tae-seop criticized Justice Minister Chu Mi-ae for ordering the enactment of a law that would penalize suspects who refuse to unlock their passwords, targeting Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon, saying, "(Minister Chu) being a legal professional is embarrassing even to me."

On the 12th, Geum posted on his Facebook, "Forcing the disclosure of cellphone passwords and penalizing those who do not comply is no different from a law that forces confessions and punishes those who do not confess," he pointed out.

He continued, "Is it acceptable for a government that pursues progressive values to trample on the truly important principles painstakingly built over decades for human rights protection overnight?" he repeatedly criticized.

Earlier, Minister Chu ordered the promotion of legislation to prevent cases like Prosecutor Han, who has been uncooperative in the so-called 'media-prosecution collusion suspicion' investigation, from recurring.

The Ministry of Justice stated in a press release that "(Minister Chu) instructed to review the enactment of laws that, referring to foreign legislations such as the UK, would enforce compliance under certain conditions like court orders and impose sanctions if not complied with, in cases where suspects maliciously hide cellphone passwords and obstruct investigations, as in the case of Han Dong-hoon, a research fellow at the Judicial Research and Training Institute and a suspect in the Channel A case."

Regarding Minister Chu's directive, Geum also pointed out the silence of Democratic Party lawmakers from the Lawyers for a Democratic Society (Minbyun). He said, "Honestly, I am unbearably angry at the Minbyun-affiliated Democratic Party lawmakers who remain silent and say nothing about such matters."

Meanwhile, Prosecutor Han issued a statement on this matter, saying, "The defendant's right to defense is a constitutional right, and I find it absurd that the Minister of Justice, who should be the bastion of the constitution and human rights protection, publicly criticizes the exercise of the defendant's constitutional rights as 'malicious' and talks about enacting laws to prevent it," calling it an "anti-constitutional idea."

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