Han Dong-hoon presses Roh Moo-hyun claims for fifth day as ruling party hits back
Version 2: Han Dong-hoon continued the offensive for a fifth day and drew a new written response from the Democratic Party’s chief spokesperson, while later reports added a detailed account of the 2008-2009 investigation that the dispute centres on.
In short
Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon has for a fifth consecutive day pressed claims that former President Roh Moo-hyun or his family received two Piaget watches worth 300 million won and billions of won from former Taekwang Industrial chairman Park Yeon-cha, saying his target is the political forces that used Roh’s death rather than Roh himself. The Democratic Party’s chief spokesperson, Park Sung-joon, called it politics that only incites with extreme language, and Roh’s son-in-law, lawmaker Kwak Sang-eon, challenged Han to prove the facts. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported the offensive is seen as a bid to raise Han’s standing in the conservative camp, where assessments are mixed.
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Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon said on Oct. 5 that his criticism is aimed at political forces that used former President Roh Moo-hyun’s death, not at Roh himself, as he and the ruling Democratic Party exchanged accusations for a fifth day. The Chosun Ilbo reported Han as saying Roh never claimed the prosecution’s investigation was fabricated and that his target was those who cursed Roh while he was alive and then created and used a false myth of a victim after his death. Democratic Party chief spokesperson Park Sung-joon said in a written briefing that Han practises politics that only incites with extreme language, and the party said Han had defined 17 years of mourning as manipulation, the Dong-A Ilbo reported. [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]
Han’s claim is that Roh or his family received two Piaget watches worth 300 million won and billions of won in illegal funds from former Taekwang Industrial chairman Park Yeon-cha, which he called a fact and which he challenged the Democratic Party to answer. Kyunghyang Shinmun and the Hankook Ilbo reported that he first raised the matter on Oct. 1 at a debate on a bill to amend the Criminal Procedure Act. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
Cho Kuk, head of the Rebuilding Korea Party’s innovation policy institute, called the remarks a vulgar political defamation of the dead and an act of unfiliality toward the deceased. Democratic Party spokesperson Cho Kye-won criticised the remarks on Oct. 2, and lawmaker Kwak Sang-eon, Roh’s son-in-law, challenged Han to show him the facts and said he would take responsibility, according to Kyunghyang Shinmun. Han replied that Kwak had no standing to speak and told his opponents not to hide behind Roh. [ 1 , 3 , 6 , 7 ]
Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that observers view the offensive as a strategy to expand Han’s presence in the conservative camp, with mixed views inside the conservative opposition: one that it is a legitimate rebuttal in the debate over abolishing the prosecution service, and another that it risks a backlash given Roh’s high public standing. A People Power Party lawmaker from the Yeongnam region said Han appeared to be pursuing a strategy to appeal to conservatives while an excessive contest of purity could hurt efforts to win moderates. A Gallup Korea survey of 1,013 adults on Sept. 6-8 for SisaIN found Roh the most trusted former president at 33.0%, and first among moderates at 33.6%. [ 3 , 4 ]
The Hankook Ilbo set out the case’s background. After the 2008 Park Yeon-cha gate, prosecutors concluded Park gave 1 million dollars and 5 million dollars through former presidential secretary Jeong Sang-moon and Roh’s nephew-in-law Yeon Cheol-ho respectively, and treated a Piaget watch given as a 60th birthday gift as a bribe tied to the presidency. Roh appeared at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office on April 30, 2009 as a bribery suspect and was questioned past midnight; the lead prosecutor was Woo Byung-woo, and Moon Jae-in and Jeon Hae-cheol attended as his lawyers. Roh said at the photo line that it was a shameful matter. He died on May 23, 2009, 23 days after the questioning, and the case was closed with no right to indict. [ 4 ]
The Hankook Ilbo reported that the case also produced controversy over the disclosure of suspected facts, including the 논두렁 시계 report, and that former Central Investigation Division head Lee In-kyu later said in an interview the report was exaggerated and leaked by the National Intelligence Service rather than the prosecution. The episode remained a decisive reason for progressive distrust of the prosecution: the Central Investigation Department was abolished under the Park Geun-hye government, investigation authority adjustment was pushed under Moon Jae-in, special investigation reinforcement was debated under Yoon Suk Yeol, and the prosecution service was abolished under the Lee Jae-myung government, with concerns about side effects. [ 4 ]
Why it matters
The dispute runs along the fault line of South Korea’s prosecution reform: the 2008-2009 investigation of Roh Moo-hyun, which the Hankook Ilbo reported became a decisive reason for progressive distrust of the prosecution and preceded the abolition of the prosecution service under the current government. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported a September Gallup Korea poll found Roh is still the most trusted former president, at 33.0%, and first among moderates at 33.6%, so the exchanges carry risk for Han among swing voters — a point a People Power Party lawmaker also raised. Kyunghyang reported that assessments inside the conservative opposition are split.
Key facts
- Han Dong-hoon, an independent lawmaker, claimed that former President Roh Moo-hyun or his family received two Piaget watches worth 300 million won and billions of won in illegal funds from former Taekwang Industrial chairman Park Yeon-cha. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- Han first raised the matter on Oct. 1 at a debate on a bill to amend the Criminal Procedure Act. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- Han said his criticism targets forces that used Roh’s death, not Roh himself, and that Roh never said the investigation was fabricated. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 ]
- Cho Kuk, head of the Rebuilding Korea Party’s innovation policy institute, called the remarks a vulgar political defamation of the dead and an act of unfiliality toward the deceased. [ 1 ]
- Democratic Party spokesperson Cho Kye-won criticised the remarks, and lawmaker Kwak Sang-eon, Roh’s son-in-law, challenged Han to show him the facts. [ 3 ]
- Democratic Party chief spokesperson Park Sung-joon said Han practises politics that only incites with extreme language, and the party said Han had defined 17 years of mourning as manipulation. [ 6 , 7 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun reported observers view the offensive as a strategy to strengthen Han’s standing in the conservative camp, with mixed assessments inside the conservative opposition. [ 3 ]
- A Gallup Korea survey of 1,013 adults on Sept. 6-8 for SisaIN found Roh the most trusted former president at 33.0%, and first among moderates at 33.6%. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Han Dong-hoon claimed that Roh Moo-hyun or his family received two Piaget watches worth 300 million won and billions of won from former Taekwang Industrial chairman Park Yeon-cha. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- Han began raising the matter in an Oct. 1 debate on a bill to amend the Criminal Procedure Act. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- Han said he is criticising political forces that used Roh’s death, not Roh himself. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 ]
- The Democratic Party and other opposition figures criticised or challenged Han’s remarks over the following days. [ 1 , 3 , 6 , 7 ]
Still unclear
- Whether Roh Moo-hyun or his family actually received the watches and money. Han states it as fact, but the documents carry no independent confirmation, and Democratic Party figures dispute or challenge the claim.
- Han’s motive for the remarks. The characterisation as a strategy to build standing in the conservative camp comes from observers cited by one outlet, not from Han himself.
- Whether the offensive will help or hurt Han politically. Kyunghyang Shinmun reports that assessments inside the conservative opposition are split, and no outcome is established.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Asia Economy publishes its report on Cho Kuk’s criticism of Han Dong-hoon’s remarks and Han’s reply that his opponents cannot refute the facts. [ 1 ]
- Kukmin Ilbo reports Han Dong-hoon saying he criticised those who used Roh Moo-hyun’s death, not Roh himself. [ 2 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun reports Han’s fourth consecutive day of comments, reactions from Democratic Party figures, conservative-camp assessments and the Gallup Korea polling figures. [ 3 ]
- Hankook Ilbo publishes a detailed account of the 2008 Park Yeon-cha gate and the 2009 investigation of Roh Moo-hyun, alongside Han’s renewed remarks. [ 4 ]
- The Chosun Ilbo reports Han saying his criticism targets those who used a false victim myth, and the ruling camp asking why he keeps invoking Roh. [ 5 ]
- The Chosun Ilbo reports Democratic Party chief spokesperson Park Sung-joon’s written briefing criticising Han. [ 6 ]
- The Dong-A Ilbo reports Han saying a fabricated myth was injected for nearly 20 years and devastated the judicial system, while the Democratic Party said he had defined 17 years of mourning as manipulation. [ 7 ]