Handonghun Refutes Opposition's Claim: "Calling Serious Crime Investigations Retaliation Is Unreasonable"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] On the 16th, Han Dong-hoon, Minister of Justice, responded to the opposition's backlash calling the prosecution investigation "political retaliation" by saying, "If serious crime investigations are called retaliation, the public would not agree at all from a common-sense perspective."

Before attending the correctional award ceremony held at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, he told reporters, "I will not direct specific investigations, but this is a very common-sense general principle," and said, "I said this."

Earlier, the Democratic Party of Korea opposed reports that the prosecution was targeting opposition figures in relation to the recent 'Ministry of Industry blacklist' and 'Daejang-dong development suspicions,' calling it the Yoon Seok-yeol government's 'political retaliation.'

Minister Han said, "The prosecution and police receive salaries from taxpayers to properly investigate corruption crimes," and added, "No one is above the law." Regarding the dismissal of the arrest warrant for former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Baek Woon-gyu, he said, "I am not involved in specific cases," and only responded, "We must properly investigate corruption crimes to protect the public."

Regarding the opposition's legislative moves to strengthen control over government enforcement ordinances and rules, he said, "The previous government also actively encouraged important policy promotion through enforcement ordinances," and added, "I think the National Assembly and the executive branch should each do their part according to the principle of separation of powers."

Despite criticism that the delay in forming the Prosecutor General Candidate Recommendation Committee is prolonging the vacancy of the Prosecutor General, he said, "It will proceed according to legal procedures," and added, "If I say it in advance, it will only cause misunderstandings. We will prepare well," withholding further comments.

Regarding criticism that increasing the number of prosecutors assigned as research committee members at the Legal Research and Training Institute, known as the "exile place," by five is a prelude to personnel retaliation, he explained, "Recently, the number of high-ranking prosecutors who remain in that status due to inspections or investigations has increased, and it was inevitable to not keep such people in places where they conduct investigations and trials directly involving the public for a long time."

He also said, "Because prosecution issues are hotly viewed from outside, important issues have been pushed back and the Ministry of Justice has not played its role, so we intend to stop using the term 'Legal Prosecution' going forward," and added, "We will speedily push forward issues that have been delayed in the past, such as immigration systems and juvenile offenders."

When asked about his thoughts on reaching one month since his inauguration on the 17th, he said, "Now is not the time to talk about thoughts but the time to work hard," and added, "I and the Ministry of Justice want to do our work diligently and well. Please watch over us."

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