Kim Min-seok, leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, said allegations raised by independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon against Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won reflect "what is effectively a continuation of insurrectionary conduct by remnants of the prosecution resisting prosecutorial reform, now being exposed through Han Dong-hoon's attention-seeking politics." He defended the nominee, saying the appointment looks "better the longer I watch."
Kim made the remarks at a party supreme council meeting he chaired at the North Chungcheong provincial government office on the 11th, saying, "I believe the Han Dong-hoon case has now entered a stage where its true nature and character are becoming clear." He stressed that "whether they leaked illegal material or knew about it and used it, they are all part of a network built on illegal material," adding that "this network will be rooted out and punished in full this time."
On Han's suggestion of an extramarital relationship, based on his claim that additional photographs of the nominee and a broker surnamed Yang exist, Kim said, "Now it has gone as far as tossing around talk of some affair." He added, "My guess is that he intends to present a photograph taken at somebody's housewarming party and say, 'This is evidence of an affair.' Isn't it likely to be nothing more than comic photographic evidence?" He said the photograph would "match or exceed the photo manipulation in the Daejang-dong golf case."
Of the nominee, Kim said, "The longer I watch, the more I judge this to be a good appointment," and vowed to "protect him."
Kim also referred to Han as "nominee Han Dong-hoon" before correcting himself, saying, "I think I called him a nominee because it occurred to me that this might as well be a confirmation hearing for Han Dong-hoon." He said, "There has been an offensive by Representative Han, but in the end the froth will clear and the essence, the truth, will come out." He added, "Public conviction that Han must be punished is growing. Even without my using the word 'out,' I believe the public's judgment is already headed toward out."
Kim also rebutted conservative commentator Jin Jung-kwon, a professor at Dongyang University, who said Kim's aggressive push against Representative Han looked set to "turn Han into another YS," a reference to former President Kim Young-sam. "There are people who, under the name of so-called commentators, make the nonsensical argument that hitting Representative Han makes him into another YS," Kim said, calling it "a massive historical distortion, an insult to the former president and a forced reading of the facts." He went on to say that "the former president stood firm against dictatorship and kept the spirit of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement as part of his identity, while people like Han Dong-hoon and Lee Jin-sook ultimately bowed their heads to dictators such as Chun Doo-hwan and Yoon Suk-yeol."
Separately, Kim commented on the "G3 Seoul Plan" announced by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon on the 10th, saying, "It is regrettable that the mayor announced this at a time when his continued activity as mayor may not be securely guaranteed." He added, "It would have been much better if such an initiative had been announced when he was able to work more vigorously." The remarks referred to Oh facing the risk of losing his post over allegations that a third party covered the cost of opinion polls on his behalf. Kim said, "If Oh's city administration is shaken, that is not Oh's failure but an inconvenience for the citizens," pledging that "for the people of Seoul, the Democratic Party's central leadership, its Seoul chapter and the Seoul Metropolitan Council will offer critical cooperation. We will cooperate with the resolve that even if Oh Se-hoon is shaken, the Democratic Party will protect the city of Seoul."
On police reform, Kim said, "Abuse of investigative authority is unacceptable for the prosecution and unacceptable for the police as well," adding, "As we complete prosecutorial reform, I will make sure that the reorganization of the public prosecution office structure does not invite misunderstanding, distortion, adverse effects or backsliding." He also said, "When I met the interior and safety minister yesterday at Seongnam air base, where I had gone to welcome the president, I made a particular point of asking for that."
