Jang Je-won: "Han Dong-hoon’s Appointment as Minister of Justice Means Giving a Pen Instead of a Sword"

Mentioned via Facebook... "Save Your Ability and Sheathe the Sword"

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is introducing Han Dong-hoon, the nominee for Minister of Justice, at the 2nd Cabinet announcement held on the 13th at the transition committee briefing room in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Transition Committee Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] Jang Je-won, Chief of Staff to President-elect Jang Je-won, referred to the nomination of Han Dong-hoon as Minister of Justice as "sheathing the sword and handing over the pen."

On the 13th, Jang wrote on his Facebook, "There seems to be a lot of debate over the nomination of Prosecutor Han," and he began by saying, "It is well known that President-elect Yoon holds Prosecutor Han in high regard."

However, Jang added, "The President-elect values not Han Dong-hoon as an individual, but his abilities," and "Because of this regard, it seems he has sheathed the sword."

Jang said, "Perhaps Prosecutor Han wanted to remain in the prosecution to continue the unfulfilled dreams as a prosecutor," and "As a prosecutor, he surely had dreams of becoming the head of the Central District Prosecutors' Office, or even Prosecutor General."

He continued, "However, President-elect Yoon entrusted Prosecutor Han with the pen," and explained, "Based on his 20 years of experience in the prosecution, he was nominated as Minister of Justice without investigative authority, to become a designer who creates an advanced criminal justice system aligned with global standards, rather than waging a war on crime."

Meanwhile, President-elect Yoon nominated Han Dong-hoon, Deputy Director of the Judicial Research and Training Institute (Prosecutor General), as the inaugural Minister of Justice on the same day.

Han is considered a close aide who worked alongside President-elect Yoon during the Park Geun-hye administration’s state affairs manipulation case and the investigation of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk’s family.

The Democratic Party strongly opposed Han’s nomination, calling it "an intention to privatize prosecutorial power by appointing a close aide and to create a ruthless prosecutorial republic," and described it as a "terrorist act against the public through personnel appointments."

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