Handonghun, on Kim Uigyeom's claim of 'staged handshake': "Regret that false information is being spread"

Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon is holding a briefing on the ruling of the Lone Star international investment dispute (ISDS) case at the Ministry of Justice building in Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi Province on the 31st. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon expressed regret, calling false the claim that he deliberately staged a handshake scene with a Democratic Party lawmaker during the signing ceremony for the relocation project of Anyang Prison last month, which was held under the cooperation between the Ministry of Justice and Anyang City.

According to the legal community on the 18th, Kim Eui-gyeom, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, recently appeared on a YouTube broadcast and relayed remarks he heard from party lawmaker Lee Jae-jung. Lee represents 'Anyang Dongan-eul,' the district where Anyang Prison is located, and was present at the signing ceremony held at the Ministry of Justice on the 18th of last month.

Kim said, "Lawmaker Lee said, 'I shouldn't smile when meeting (Minister Han), or be photographed,' so she deliberately avoided him, did not make eye contact, and kept a distance," describing the situation at the time. He added, "After the event ended safely, when she was about to take the elevator, Minister Han reportedly followed her there," and "Minister Han greeted her with a flip phone, saying 'I wanted to meet you,' and extended his hand for a handshake, which she could not refuse, so she greeted him with minimal formality."

Kim also pointed out that the handshake scene was filmed by a broadcast camera right behind them, and a few hours later, a post titled 'Minister Han Takes the Lead in Cooperation Beyond Factional Logic' was uploaded on the Ministry of Justice website. Kim made the same claim during an appearance on the YouTube channel 'Kim Eo-jun's Das Bweida.'

However, the publicly released footage from the scene shows that Minister Han and lawmaker Lee shook hands not in front of the elevator but in the conference room where the signing ceremony took place, and the two naturally shook hands amid applause and greetings from all attendees.

Minister Han said, "I regret that Kim, who did not even attend the signing ceremony, appeared on a broadcast and repeatedly made false statements that are completely different from the facts." He added, "This matter was not about factional logic but about solving a long-standing issue together with the Democratic Party-affiliated mayor, politicians, and the Ministry of Justice, focusing only on the interests of citizens and the nation," and "During the event, we exchanged constructive and positive remarks."

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