Han Dong-hoon pushes back after his fundraising records sought for Kim Seung-won hearing

Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon pushed back Monday after Rep. Son Sol of the Progressive Party requested his fundraising committee's accounting records from the National Election Commission as part of the confirmation hearing process for Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won, calling the move nonsensical.

Han said on Facebook that Son, a proportional-representation lawmaker affiliated with the Democratic Party of Korea, had submitted the request for "Han Dong-hoon candidate fundraising committee accounting records" under the banner of "Kim Seung-won hearing document requests" — and that the National Election Commission had complied.

"What does a 'Han Dong-hoon candidate fundraising committee accounting report' have to do with the 'Kim Seung-won hearing'?" Han said. "Why did Rep. Son make the request, and why did the National Election Commission hand it over?" He also asked whether the commission was retaliating against him for introducing three bills to reform it.

Han added that he would, as a lawmaker, request the fundraising committee accounting records of Democratic Party members including Rep. Seo Young-gyo and Rep. Son Sol from the National Election Commission. "I will watch with the public to see whether it hands those over just as readily as it handed over mine," he said.

Criticism of Son's document request also came from within the People Power Party. Rep. Park Jeong-ha, an ally of Han, wrote on Facebook: "Why on earth are Han's accounting records needed? Is Han the justice minister nominee?" Park added: "Has the National Election Commission, following the Prime Minister's Office, now joined the ranks of those surveilling Rep. Han?"

Five-term veteran Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun of the People Power Party also weighed in, calling it an "attack on Han Dong-hoon by the Democratic Party and the broader pro-government bloc that has the wrong address." He said Tuesday's hearing was "a confirmation hearing for nominee Kim, not a Han Dong-hoon hearing."

"If they have that many questions for Rep. Han, they can simply designate him as a witness at the hearing," Yoon added. "If they attack him from the outside while refusing to put him on the stand where the facts can actually be examined, who would find that convincing?"

Meanwhile, Han said he filed a criminal complaint Monday against Democratic Party Rep. Park Seon-won on charges including violation of the Public Interest Whistleblower Protection Act, alleging that Park had outed — forcibly revealed the identity of — a whistleblower connected to allegations that nominee Kim lobbied for approval of a new drug clinical trial. Rep. Park Jeong-hun, another Han ally, joined the complaint.

Han wrote on Facebook: "Even if Rep. Park Seon-won and the Democratic Party out and attack the whistleblower, they cannot bury Kim Seung-won's 'oppa poison-lobbying' scandal. Police must immediately take protective measures for the whistleblower."