DP's Kim Dong-a: Document Han Dong-hoon released never leaves prosecutors' office

Rep. Kim Dong-a of the Democratic Party of Korea said Wednesday that the Ministry of Justice confirmed that the "indictment plan document" disclosed by independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon — who has raised allegations against Justice Minister candidate Kim Seung-won — is material that never leaves the prosecution's internal investigation team.

Kim, a member of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, made the remarks Wednesday on MBC Radio's "Kim Jong-bae's Focus," saying, "It is material that only those in the investigation line or the reporting line can see."

Asked whether this was an official response from the Ministry of Justice, Kim said, "It was not official," explaining, "Since I am a member of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, I raised the question during a meeting with senior Justice Ministry officials, and that is how I received the answer." She doubled down, saying it was "internal reporting material that could not have been disclosed at all except by those who were in the investigation line at the time."

Regarding why she initially said she would file a complaint against Han with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials before switching to the Korean National Police Agency's National Office of Investigation, Kim said, "Right before I submitted the complaint, I learned that attorney Kim Kyung-ho had already filed a complaint with nearly identical content with the National Office of Investigation."

She went on to say, "There was no need for two investigative agencies to act at the same time; I judged it necessary to concentrate on one," adding, "I filed the complaint with the National Office of Investigation because I thought the Corruption Investigation Office needs to focus more of its capacity on misconduct by sitting judges or prosecutors."

However, Kim expressed a negative view on adopting Han as a witness at candidate Kim's confirmation hearing. "Even if Han Dong-hoon appears at the hearing, I largely think he will not give proper answers," Kim said. "I expect he will simply list the content and claims he wants to make, so personally, I do not think there is a need to call him." She added that Democratic Party members of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee had not held detailed discussions on adopting Han as a witness.

Kim also drew a line on the allegations surrounding the relationship between candidate Kim and Yang, a Genencell official. "I judge them to be acquaintances who knew each other," Kim said, adding, "Talk has circulated that they were in some kind of affair, but that is not true at all."

She went on to say, "The investigation records do mention an affair, but that refers to an affair involving a third party, not Kim Seung-won," asserting that the records also show candidate Kim and Yang were not in an affair.

Regarding candidate Kim's phone call to then-Ministry of Food and Drug Safety chief Kim Kang-lip over a COVID-19 treatment clinical trial, Kim reaffirmed her position that it was routine handling of a constituent complaint. "As stated in the deferred indictment decision, there was no improper solicitation, it was a normal part of his duties, and he conveyed the complaint in his capacity as a lawmaker," Kim said.

On calling former minister Kim Kang-lip as a witness at the confirmation hearing, Kim said, "That can certainly be considered," but added, "Witnesses have not yet been adopted, and there has not been proper discussion on it." She went on to say, "As I understand it, Kim Kang-lip was worn down by the prosecution's investigation, so I think he may be somewhat reluctant to appear."

Kim also rebuffed the People Power Party's attempt to link the background of candidate Kim's nomination to the prosecution's withdrawal of an indictment. "Candidate Kim Seung-won himself said he would not order the withdrawal of the indictment," Kim said, "but the fabricated investigations and wrongful indictments that occurred under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration and then-Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon need to be fully investigated for the truth."

She went on to say, "An internal fact-finding effort within the prosecution into the fabricated indictment will be needed," adding, "The investigation into the fabricated indictment should be carried out through a special prosecutor."