CIOC Chief Kim Ji-yong: "Probe Needed into Suspicions Surrounding Han Dong-hoon's Daughter"
Kim Ji-yong, head of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIOC), said at a National Assembly audit on the 26th that "some aspects do appear that way" regarding allegations that an investigation into the concealment of the false credentials of independent Rep. Han Dong-hoon's daughter was hushed up, and stated that the truth must be uncovered.
Rep. Han's daughter has been suspected of submitting fraudulent records of over 20,000 hours of free tutoring as volunteer service in 2022 and publishing a paper actually written by a Kenyan ghostwriter in 2021 as her own. Police, after receiving a complaint in May of that year, dismissed the case in December 2023, citing insufficient evidence among other reasons.
At the Public Administration and Security Committee audit held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 26th, with the heads of the CIOC and the National Police Agency both in attendance, lawmakers from the ruling party pressed them with questions. Jeong Chung-suk of the Rebuilding Korea Party asked, "Would such a case have been possible if it weren't for Han Dong-hoon, who was justice minister at the time? I believe everything was buried." Kim replied, "Some aspects do appear that way."
The adequacy of the police investigation, which had already been carried out, also came under questioning. Lawmakers asked why the official records that Rep. Han's daughter had submitted to receive awards from local governments were not properly investigated. Suspicion was also raised that, as a high school student, she claimed to have held an event donating some 50 laptops and received various awards on that basis. When Yoon Gun-young of the Democratic Party of Korea asked National Investigation Headquarters chief Hong Seok-gi, "Do you think a first-year high school student could donate 50 laptops?" Hong answered, "I don't think that is common sense."
Complaints over the alleged cover-up of the fraudulent credentials investigation were filed with both the police and the CIOC. Based on complaints from a civic group, the CIOC is investigating the false credentials allegations against Rep. Han's daughter, while the police are investigating the alleged cover-up. There have also been allegations that the prosecution rejected the police's request for mutual legal assistance with the United States at the time.
Controversy over Kim's neutrality arose after he attended a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Lee Jae-myung on the 20th, before his inauguration ceremony, despite having pledged to root out the 'politicization of investigations.' Kim said his attendance at the Cabinet meeting was based on the Constitution, the Government Organization Act, and the rules on Cabinet operations, but stated that he would not answer if the president asked him about a specific case.
