Acting prosecutor general says leak probe on Han Dong-hoon needs a formal investigation
In short
Acting prosecutor general Lee Jeong-hyeon told a National Assembly audit on the 22nd that the Public Prosecution Office's own fact-finding into the alleged leak of an indictment plan by lawmaker Han Dong-hoon has limits and that an investigation is needed. He said the office would cooperate if police or the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency investigate.
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Lee Jeong-hyeon (이정현), acting prosecutor general and deputy chief prosecutor of the Public Prosecution Office (공소청), said the office's own fact-finding into the alleged leak of prosecution documents by independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon (한동훈) has limits and that an investigation is needed. He spoke on the 22nd at the Public Prosecution Office audit of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Democratic Party lawmaker Park Gyun-taek (박균택) asked how the fact-finding was progressing. Lee replied that a relevant department was checking the facts thoroughly. He then said the fact-finding presupposes the consent of the person concerned and can only be done on current officials, which he called a physical limit. "This will have to be established through an investigation," he said. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
A lawmaker asked Lee to cooperate if police or the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (중대범죄수사청) investigate, and Lee answered that the office would cooperate as much as possible. [ 1 , 2 ]
The allegation arose when Han disclosed an indictment plan, an internal prosecution document, while raising a lobbying allegation against Kim Seung-won (김승원), a former nominee for justice minister. Democratic Party lawmakers had earlier demanded a thorough fact-finding on this at the Justice Ministry audit on the 8th, from acting Justice Minister Lee Jin-su (이진수), who is also vice minister. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
At the same audit, Park said police and the agency were expected to investigate the alleged cover-up of the probe into Han's daughter's false credentials. Lee said the office would actively cooperate. According to Dong-A Ilbo, the question asked the office to oversee matters so that nothing obstructs the investigation. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Yonhap and Dong-A Ilbo described the background. In November 2022 the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's anti-corruption and public crime investigation unit asked the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office to apply for international criminal judicial assistance to obtain evidence abroad. Prosecutors decided not to forward the request to the Justice Ministry, citing the minor nature of the matter. Allegations have been raised that Han, then justice minister, was involved in the rejection of the request. Dong-A Ilbo attributed this claim to the Democratic Party. Civic groups have recently filed a series of complaints with police and the agency. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The remarks indicate that the prosecution side sees the leak allegation as something to be settled by an outside investigation rather than by an internal inquiry. The documents also show Democratic Party lawmakers pressing the matter at two audits, on the 8th and the 22nd.
Key facts
- Lee Jeong-hyeon (이정현), acting prosecutor general and deputy chief prosecutor of the Public Prosecution Office (공소청), spoke at the Public Prosecution Office audit of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee on the 22nd. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The allegation is that independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon (한동훈) disclosed an indictment plan from the prosecution's internal files while raising a lobbying allegation against Kim Seung-won (김승원), a former nominee for justice minister. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Lee said the fact-finding depends on the consent of the person concerned and can only cover current officials, so the matter should be established through an investigation. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Lee said the office would cooperate as much as possible if police or the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (중대범죄수사청) investigate. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Lee also said he would actively cooperate with expected police and agency investigations into the alleged cover-up of the probe into Han's daughter's false credentials. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Democratic Party lawmakers had demanded a thorough fact-finding on the leak at the Justice Ministry audit on the 8th, from acting Justice Minister Lee Jin-su (이진수). [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Lee Jeong-hyeon said the Public Prosecution Office's own fact-finding on the Han Dong-hoon document leak allegation has limits and the matter should be established through an investigation. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Lee said the office would cooperate with police or Serious Crimes Investigation Agency investigations. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- In November 2022 the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's anti-corruption unit asked the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office to apply for international criminal judicial assistance in the case of Han's daughter, and prosecutors decided not to forward the request to the Justice Ministry, citing the minor nature of the matter. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Civic groups have recently filed complaints with police and the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency over the allegation that Han, then justice minister, was involved in the rejection of the assistance request. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Whether police or the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency have opened an investigation into the leak. Lee's remarks, as reported, concern cooperation if an investigation takes place; no document says one has begun.
- Whether Han was involved in the rejection of the international judicial assistance request. Documents describe this as an allegation, attributed in one outlet to the Democratic Party; none reports a finding.
- The result of the Public Prosecution Office's internal fact-finding. Lee said a relevant department is checking thoroughly, but no document reports any outcome.