'Han Dong-hoon and Go Min-jung Debate Over "Kim Gun-hee Investigation"... Korea Says "There Are Various Investigation Methods"'

Gominjung "Will you investigate Mrs. Kim Geon-hee?" Han Dong-hoon "The investigation is underway and has already progressed significantly"

Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon is responding to questions at the plenary session of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts held at the National Assembly on the 19th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Woo-seok] On the 19th, during the comprehensive policy questioning session of the National Assembly's Special Committee on Budget and Accounts, Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon and Democratic Party lawmaker Ko Min-jung engaged in a heated debate over the investigation of First Lady Kim Geon-hee.

On that day, lawmaker Ko directed all her questions exclusively to Minister Han throughout the entire 15-minute questioning period. She began by saying, "If you answer slowly and clearly, it won't come across as insincere," then asked, "Do you have the determination to conduct a strict investigation into dead power?"

Minister Han responded, "I believe that investigations should be the same regardless of who the subject is, even if their name is concealed," adding, "It is fundamental to democracy that investigations be conducted fairly, whether the perpetrator is strong or weak."

Lawmaker Ko then asked, "Will you investigate First Lady Kim Geon-hee?" to which Minister Han replied, "The investigation is already underway and has progressed significantly," and added, "I am not the one directly conducting the investigation, but I believe the prosecution will investigate and handle it fairly."

When Ko said, "To conclude the investigation, the person in question must be summoned," Minister Han countered, "There are various methods of investigation."

Ko then quoted Minister Han's earlier statement that "investigations should be the same even if names are concealed," and said, "I believe the investigation of First Lady Kim Geon-hee is proceeding in the same manner."

Minister Han responded, "That's a very obvious statement."

Lawmaker Ko showed a constitutional provision that grants immunity from prosecution during the president's term and asked, "Does the president's family fall under the category of immunity from prosecution?" Minister Han answered, "There seems to be no room for interpretation. The constitutional immunity from prosecution applies to the president themselves, the incumbent president."

Ko Min-jung, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea Photo by Yonhap News

Lawmaker Ko also asked Minister Han about his feelings regarding the Channel A case. Minister Han was accused in March 2020 of conspiring with a Channel A reporter to coerce Lee Cheol, former CEO of Value Invest Korea, into providing information about ruling party figures. The court acquitted the Channel A reporter, and Minister Han was cleared of charges on the 6th of last month.

Minister Han defined this as a "media collusion case" and avoided a direct answer by saying, "I do not want to talk about how I experienced my case and how difficult it was."

Lawmaker Ko mentioned the Yoo Woo-sung spy fabrication case and criticized the appointment of prosecutor Lee Si-won, who was in charge of that case, as the Secretary for Public Office Discipline at the Presidential Office, asking, "Do you think it is acceptable for a disciplined prosecutor to be thriving?"

Minister Han emphasized, "I am someone who was even subjected to abuse of authority during the prosecution investigation process," adding, "The prosecutor who abused me was promoted. I will not do such things."

During the Channel A case, the investigation team attempted to seize Minister Han's mobile phone, and in the process, the then head of the investigation team, Jeong Jin-woong, chief of the Criminal Division 1 at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, clashed with Minister Han and is currently on trial for abuse of authority. Despite being a subject of investigation, Chief Jeong was promoted to deputy chief prosecutor of the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office.

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