Handcuffs Coming Off for Han Dong-hoon, Appointment as Head of Central District Prosecutors' Office Gains Momentum

Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon is appearing as a witness at the trial related to the assault involving Deputy Chief Prosecutor Jeong Jin-woong of the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office, held on the 21st at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

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[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] It has been two years since Han Dong-hoon, Deputy Director of the Judicial Research and Training Institute (Chief Prosecutor), was stigmatized as the ‘accused chief prosecutor’ involved in the Channel A case and demoted. During this period, Han Chief Prosecutor stayed out of the public eye except for his trial-related schedules. He only kept in touch with acquaintances by phone. Recently, he often told acquaintances, "Let's meet soon when things get better." The Channel A case was like shackles for Chief Prosecutor Han. It seems those shackles will soon be released.

According to the legal community on the 5th, Lee Jung-soo, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, received a formal report from the investigation team of the ‘Channel A case’ the day before, recommending that Chief Prosecutor Han be cleared of charges, and is currently deliberating on the approval. The investigation team, including the lead prosecutor, head prosecutor, and deputy chief prosecutor, all appeared and explained for about an hour why Chief Prosecutor Han should be found not guilty.

Since the prosecution chief’s authority to direct the investigation was excluded in this case, the final decision-making power rests with Chief Prosecutor Lee. Many in the legal community expect his decision to come soon and that the conclusion will accept the investigation team’s opinion. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office also stated that they will "make a prompt judgment."

If Chief Prosecutor Han’s clearance is confirmed, the ‘rumor of his appointment as Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office,’ which is circulating in political and legal circles, will gain momentum. Chief Prosecutor Han was one of the closest aides during President-elect Yoon Seok-youl’s tenure as Prosecutor General. Following President-elect Yoon’s pledge to ‘normalize the prosecution,’ many predict that Chief Prosecutor Han will take a key position within the prosecution, particularly as the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, considered the largest investigative agency in the country. However, there is a variable. If Chief Prosecutor Han is appointed to lead the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office without completely clearing the allegations related to the Channel A case, both he and President-elect Yoon could face backlash, and public opinion might turn against them.

Because of this, there are divided scenarios: some expect President-elect Yoon to push forward with Han’s appointment as Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, while others suggest assigning Han to positions such as Chief Prosecutor of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office or the Southern District Prosecutors' Office, which are handled by ruling party figures involved in the case.

Another variable is Park Beom-gye, Minister of Justice. Minister Park recently considered restoring the prosecution chief’s authority to direct investigations, which had been excluded in the Channel A case, but halted the plan due to internal opposition within the Ministry of Justice. During this process, Minister Park was suspected of having coordinated with Chief Prosecutor Lee, his high school junior, from the beginning and of reviewing the restoration of investigative authority to prevent the dismissal of charges against Chief Prosecutor Han.

While Chief Prosecutor Lee has not yet given final approval, the legal community believes there is still room for Minister Park to push for the restoration of investigative authority. On the morning of the previous day, Minister Park expressed discomfort with such views and remained silent when asked about the possibility of restoring investigative authority, saying, "I have nothing to answer."

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