Han Dong-hoon and Kwak Sang-eon clash over Roh Moo-hyun family fund claims
In short
Han Dong-hoon, an independent lawmaker, said it was a fact that the late President Roh Moo-hyun or his family illegally received two Piaget watches worth 300 million won and tens of billions of won from Park Yeon-cha, former chairman of Taekwang Industry. Roh's son-in-law, Democratic Party lawmaker Kwak Sang-eon, demanded Han present evidence for the claims, saying he would apologise and accept punishment if they were shown. Han replied that he was targeting Democratic Party forces he says have profited from Roh's death, and pressed Kwak on whether Park's money paid for a New Jersey apartment bought by Kwak and his wife.
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Han Dong-hoon, an independent lawmaker and former prosecutor, and Kwak Sang-eon, a Democratic Party lawmaker and son-in-law of the late President Roh Moo-hyun, publicly exchanged rebuttals over allegations that Roh or his family illegally received money and valuables from Park Yeon-cha, former chairman of Taekwang Industry. The exchange ran through social media and Facebook posts over several days. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
According to Hankook Ilbo, Han raised the allegations at a National Assembly debate on 1 October, and on 2 October said it was a fact that Roh or his family illegally received two Piaget watches worth 300 million won and tens of billions of won from sponsor Park Yeon-cha. [ 1 ]
Kwak responded on social media on 3 October, asking Han to make clear what the facts were and saying that if Han showed them he would apologise, accept criticism and be punished. Kwak said that while working as a lawyer during the 2009 Park Yeon-cha investigation he had taken part in the probe or been questioned as a witness, and that he did not know which parts of the investigation as announced at the time, or of press reports based on it, were true and to what extent. [ 1 , 2 ]
Han replied that his target was not Roh but the Democratic Party political forces he said had profited for nearly 20 years by deifying Roh's death. He asked Kwak directly whether part of the price of a New Jersey apartment had been received from Park Yeon-cha, noting that Kwak is both Roh's son-in-law and a sitting lawmaker. [ 1 , 3 ]
Hankook Ilbo reported that Kwak's wife, Roh Jeong-yeon, bought a Hudson Villas unit in New Jersey in October 2007, sent a deposit of 400,000 dollars, and after being pressed for an interim payment was convicted of illegally remitting 1.3 billion won; she was sentenced to four months in prison suspended for one year, and the conviction became final after she withdrew her appeal. The outlet reported that the case was partly investigated in 2009 and closed after Roh's death, then investigated again about a month before the 2012 general election, when it was alleged the money came from Park but this was not established. Kwak, who was her lawyer, wrote in his book that the case was politically motivated ahead of the election. [ 1 ]
On 4 October Han posted on Facebook that he was asking a simple fact — whether the money for the house was received from Park Yeon-cha — and that Kwak should answer “yes or no” rather than talking around it. He also said he was pointing to the apartment to argue that the investigation into Roh was not fabrication, adding that he was criticising Democratic Party political forces rather than Roh himself. Seoul Economic Daily reported that Kwak issued a second, longer rebuttal the same day and again demanded clear documents or evidence on the New Jersey apartment, while Han repeated his question. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
The exchange pits a former prosecutor and independent lawmaker against a ruling-party lawmaker who is a member of the late president's family, reviving a dispute over the 2009 Park Yeon-cha investigation that has long divided Korean politics. Han frames the argument as a challenge to what he calls the Democratic Party's political use of Roh's death, while Kwak demands evidence, so the dispute is likely to continue on social media and in the National Assembly. The documents do not indicate any legal proceeding arising from the claims.
Key facts
- Han Dong-hoon, an independent lawmaker, said it was a fact that Roh Moo-hyun or his family illegally received two Piaget watches worth 300 million won and tens of billions of won from Park Yeon-cha, former chairman of Taekwang Industry. [ 1 ]
- Kwak Sang-eon, a Democratic Party lawmaker and Roh Moo-hyun's son-in-law, demanded that Han present evidence for his claims, saying he would apologise, accept criticism and be punished if they were shown to be wrong. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Han asked whether funds from Park Yeon-cha paid in part for a New Jersey apartment bought by Kwak and his wife, and said on 4 October that this was a simple fact that Kwak should answer with “yes or no”. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Han said he was criticising Democratic Party forces he says have profited for nearly 20 years from Roh's death, not Roh himself. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Hankook Ilbo reported that Roh Jeong-yeon, Kwak's wife, was convicted of illegally remitting 1.3 billion won over a New Jersey apartment purchase in 2007 and was sentenced to four months in prison suspended for one year. [ 1 ]
- Hankook Ilbo reported that the case was partly investigated in 2009 and closed after Roh's death, was investigated again about a month before the 2012 general election, and that an allegation the money came from Park Yeon-cha was never established. [ 1 ]
- Han said on Facebook on 4 October that his aim was to say that the investigation into Roh Moo-hyun was not fabrication. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Han Dong-hoon, an independent lawmaker, and Kwak Sang-eon, a Democratic Party lawmaker and Roh Moo-hyun's son-in-law, publicly exchanged rebuttals over allegations that Roh or his family illegally received money and valuables from Park Yeon-cha, former chairman of Taekwang Industry. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Kwak demanded that Han present evidence for the facts he asserted, saying he would apologise and accept punishment if they were shown. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Han pressed Kwak on whether money from Park Yeon-cha paid for a New Jersey apartment bought by Kwak and his wife. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Han said his criticism was aimed at Democratic Party political forces he says have profited by deifying Roh's death, not at Roh himself. [ 1 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Whether Roh Moo-hyun or his family illegally received two Piaget watches worth 300 million won and tens of billions of won from Park Yeon-cha. Han states it as fact and Kwak demands evidence; the documents contain no evidence either way, and Hankook Ilbo reports that most of the allegations against Roh were closed as “no right to prosecute” after his death.
- Whether Park Yeon-cha's money paid for the New Jersey apartment bought by Kwak and his wife. Han repeatedly asserts it as fact and asks Kwak to confirm or deny it; Kwak asks for specific documents and evidence, and Hankook Ilbo reports the source of the 1.3 billion won was alleged to be Park in 2012 but was not established.
- Kwak's claim that Han was not a member of the 2009 Park Yeon-cha investigation team. This appears in one document only; Han did not address it directly, calling it a diversion.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Han Dong-hoon raises Roh Moo-hyun's alleged receipt of money at a National Assembly debate at the members' office building in Yeouido, Seoul. [ 1 ]
- Han says it is a fact that Roh or his family illegally received two Piaget watches worth 300 million won and tens of billions of won from sponsor Park Yeon-cha. [ 1 ]
- Kwak Sang-eon posts his first rebuttal on social media, asking Han to make clear what the facts are. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Hankook Ilbo publishes its report on the exchange, including background on the New Jersey apartment case. [ 1 ]
- Chosun Ilbo reports Kwak's demand for evidence and Han's reply about the New Jersey apartment. [ 2 ]
- Han posts on Facebook that Kwak should answer “yes or no” on whether Park Yeon-cha paid for the apartment; Kwak issues a second, longer rebuttal and Han responds again. [ 3 ]
- Seoul Economic Daily publishes its account of the continued back-and-forth. [ 3 ]