Justice Minister Nominee Kim Seung-won Slams Rep. Han Dong-hoon at Confirmation Hearing
Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won sharply criticized independent Rep. Han Dong-hoon at his National Assembly confirmation hearing on the 15th. Rep. Han has previously released investigative materials while raising allegations that Kim sought improper approval for a new drug clinical trial (a request to authorize a new drug for use).
The nominee said that if appointed minister, he would inspect whether anyone leaked materials from the prosecutors' cabinet and used them for political purposes or in their law practice. Responding to a question from Democratic Party Rep. Park Ji-won, Kim said he would "thoroughly review the materials stored in the prosecutors' cabinet (a storage space where the prosecution keeps case files separately) — materials that should not even be there — and handle them selectively." He countered that Rep. Han's allegations were based on investigative materials illegally leaked from within the prosecution. Rep. Park cited the exclusionary rule under the Criminal Procedure Act — the principle that evidence obtained illegally cannot be used at trial — and said, "The prosecution is still up to its old dirty tricks. Do they think they can walk out with those files and blackmail politicians?"
The nominee also questioned the nature of the materials Rep. Han had disclosed. In response to a question from Democratic Party Rep. Kim Yong-min, Kim argued that "some of the materials Rep. Han released fall outside the scope of my investigation." He added, "They were not subjects of search and seizure, and even if they had been, they should have stayed with the prosecution — they should never have been leaked." The nominee has also said that during his confirmation hearing preparations, he found that the transcript of wiretap recordings of broker Yang Mo released by Rep. Han had been distorted, with parts of conversations omitted or their order rearranged. He criticized the practice of misleading public opinion through distortion and selective editing as "a great enemy of democracy."
Kim added that given the possibility that the materials remain on the prosecution's D-NET (a digital evidence management server) — and not just copies held by himself — "if only for the sake of citizens who may feel anxious, this time we must carry out a thorough inspection or an accurate fact-finding investigation."
