Democratic Party tells Han Dong-hoon: 'The right place for you is a police interrogation room'

The Democratic Party of Korea on Saturday called out independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, who has repeatedly raised allegations of a "new drug lobbying scandal" involving Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won, saying "the right place for Han Dong-hoon is a police interrogation room" and demanding he reveal the source of the documents he has been posting.

Democratic Party spokesperson Jo Gye-won held a briefing at the National Assembly's media center Saturday, saying "the reason Han's expulsion has been discussed is not anger" but because "the leaking of internal prosecution documents onto a personal social media account is incompatible with the status of a National Assembly member." Jo added, "The Democratic Party does not bite. We handle things through the law. The complaint has been filed, and Han Dong-hoon is the subject of investigation."

At the same briefing, Jo said Han had threatened Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok, saying he would "pull out all his teeth" and telling him "not to bark if he can't bite." "Those are not words to use toward a lawmaker elected by the people," Jo said. "Han's language is exactly what it was when he was a prosecutor."

Jo then said Han had declared he would "roll around in the mud," adding that "other people's private phone calls and the investigation records he pulled from a cabinet are that mud." "Do not dress up a document leak as something noble by claiming to act on behalf of the people," Jo said.

Jo said Han should worry about his own conduct before concerning himself with others. "He talks about dignity and decorum, then says he will pull out the ruling party leader's teeth. His words and actions do not match," Jo said, calling it "a classic case of saying one thing and doing another."

Jo also said it was contradictory for someone who had posted confidential investigation records to call a prime minister's office staffer's questions "surveillance." "Is what you did the public interest, and is a question someone else asked surveillance?" Jo said.