Tension Between Han Dong-hoon and Chu Mi-ae... Chu Says "Courageous to Call a Superior 'Ssi'"

Former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae (left) and Prosecutor General Han Dong-hoon (right) [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim So-young] Former Minister of Justice and Democratic Party presidential candidate Chu Mi-ae and Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon exchanged sharp words over the second trial sentencing of Professor Jeong Gyeong-sim of Dongyang University, continuing a war of nerves over how to address each other.

Earlier on the 11th, the Seoul High Court Criminal Division 1-2 (Presiding Judges Eom Sang-pil, Shim Dam, Lee Seung-ryeon) sentenced Professor Jeong, who was indicted on a total of 15 charges including violations of the Capital Markets Act, to four years in prison, the same as in the first trial. However, unlike the first trial which imposed a fine of 500 million won and a confiscation of about 140 million won, the appellate court reduced the fine to 50 million won and the confiscation to about 10 million won.

In response, former Minister Chu expressed her sorrow on her Facebook post on the 12th, saying, "My heart was heavy and sorrowful all day long," and described the ruling as "regrettable and unfortunate the more I think about it."

She lamented, "The private equity fund case, which was initially presumed guilty, was all acquitted, and the separate investigations that were fought over became the stumbling block," adding, "I am frustrated wondering if Professor Jeong became a victim of the separate investigations, which are nothing more than old-fashioned fishing expeditions by special prosecutors."

Jung Kyung-shim, spouse of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, who was indicted on charges related to school admission fraud and private equity funds, was found guilty of admission fraud and other charges in the appellate court following the first trial and was sentenced to imprisonment.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The former minister’s campaign also stated in a press release, "Under Han Dong-hoon's command, the charges were squeezed out like wringing a dry towel through separate investigations. They have nothing to do with the private equity fund."

In response, Prosecutor Han issued a statement saying, "I don’t know what Chu Mi-ae is looking at to keep lying that everything is acquitted," and rebutted, "Only some of the private equity fund crimes were acquitted, but she falsely claimed that all were acquitted and criticized the investigation based on that falsehood, which damages the honor of the investigation team."

Then, the former minister’s campaign released a statement titled "What Han Dong-hoon Should Do Is Reflect, Not Make Sophistries," asking, "We ask Han Dong-hoon: Regardless of acquittal or conviction, among the charges against Professor Jeong Gyeong-sim, which dragged in everything from over ten years ago, was there any involvement of the so-called 'living power' that the prosecution loudly claimed?"

Prosecutor Han also issued a statement titled "Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon's Position Regarding Chu Mi-ae’s Facebook Claims," saying, "If you listen to Chu Mi-ae’s words 'regardless of acquittal or conviction,' it seems that the truth is not important to her despite the guilty prison sentences in the first and second trials," and criticized, "There is an appellate court ruling convicting on the private equity fund charges, so it’s not a matter of someone powerful insisting."

In response, the former minister’s campaign released a statement titled "Han Dong-hoon’s Forced Interpretation, Don’t Confuse the Public by Mixing Private Equity Funds and Ordinary Stock Transactions," suddenly changing the way they addressed Prosecutor Han from 'Mr. Han Dong-hoon' to 'Deputy Director of the Judicial Research and Training Institute.' At the end of the statement, they sarcastically said, "It’s admirable that he has the courage to call his former superior, former Minister Chu Mi-ae, 'Ms. Chu Mi-ae.'"

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