Han Dong-hoon Fires Back at Democratic Party, Accusing It of Turning Public Office into Private Property
Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon has launched a counteroffensive against Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok, citing suspicions that a bill was sponsored on Kim's child's behalf, calling it "the privatization of public office and a subject for investigation." On the 11th, Han posted on his social media a message titled 'The Democratic Party's Privatization of Public Office for Kim Min-seok's Child.' He asserted that the Democratic Party leader had privatized his position as a National Assembly member for the sake of his child, pointing out that Rep. Kang Deuk-gu had first sponsored the bill for Kim's child and that 16 Democratic Party lawmakers took part in co-sponsoring it.
Quoting former People Power Party spokesperson Song Young-hoon, he went on to say, "The son, a high school student, personally drafted a bill, and his father, Rep. Kim Min-seok, along with Democratic Party lawmakers, actually sponsored it," adding, "This is something that would be impossible for an ordinary citizen, but it was done because he is the child of Assemblyman Kim Min-seok." Han urged, "This is a matter for investigation," and said, "Leader Kim Min-seok, the 'notebook attack captain' — stop hiding behind people like Jeong Bong-ju and speak up." Song had previously claimed that in 2022, when Kim's son was a second-year high school student, Democratic Party lawmakers including Rep. Kang Deuk-gu actually sponsored a legislative bill that the son had drafted through a school club activity.
Han's counteroffensive came right after the Democratic Party intensified its offensive targeting Han's daughter. At a written briefing that day, Park Sung-joon, the Democratic Party's chief spokesperson, claimed that the name of Benson, a ghostwriter based in Kenya, remained in the author field of the document files of Han's daughter's papers. He also noted that she had published five papers and four e-books within just two months during her first year of high school.
Democratic Party Rep. Park Keun-tae also claimed that in 2022, while Han was serving as justice minister, police requested judicial cooperation from the United States, but prosecutors decided after just ten days not to forward the case. He said prosecutors at the time judged that it had not been sufficiently demonstrated whether the materials were essential to establishing the facts, and that the United States was unlikely to comply. Police also decided in January on all such allegations with either a ruling of no suspicion or a decision not to forward the case.
