Jin Joong-kwon: "The Ruling Party 'Saving Han Myeong-sook'... Trying to Seize Control of the Judiciary Too"

Kim Tae-nyeon "Shocked by the late Han Man-ho's prison memorandum"
Park Ju-min "Han Myeong-sook case included in the Corruption Investigation Office's investigation scope"

Former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] As the Democratic Party of Korea continuously calls for a reinvestigation, citing problems in the prosecution's investigation during former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook's illegal political funds case, former Dongyang University professor Jin Jung-kwon expressed concern on the 21st, saying, "The Democratic Party is trying to control even the judiciary."

On the same day, Jin posted on his Facebook, stating, "I am deeply concerned about this situation, wondering if the Democratic Party, which has taken control of the executive and legislative branches, is now trying to seize the last remaining judiciary."

He added, "Although the person herself is not stepping forward to claim innocence, there must be some reason why the party and government are acting in an organized manner. The fact that pro-government media have taken the lead in this seemingly highly impure project, and the agitated public stirred up by them, casts an ominous shadow over the future of our society."

He further pointed out, "Using collusion between the media and political power to manipulate public opinion, and the party and government moving systematically under this pretext?if you look closely, you will notice a recurring 'pattern'."

Earlier, a recent media outlet revealed the prison memorandum of the late Han Man-ho, who handed money to former Prime Minister Han. The memorandum contained statements that he gave false testimony under coercion and inducement by the prosecution. This has prompted the ruling party to call for a reinvestigation of the case.

Kim Tae-nyeon, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the policy coordination meeting held at the National Assembly on the 21st and delivering an opening remark. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Kim Tae-nyeon, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, also urged a reinvestigation into former Prime Minister Han's illegal political funds case. On the morning of the same day, he appeared on CBS Radio's "Kim Hyun-jung's News Show" and said, "I was deeply shocked after seeing Han Man-ho's prison memorandum," adding, "Institutions should not simply think 'she is absolutely innocent' or 'everything was done properly.' When the heads of these institutions consider these circumstances, there is room for suspicion."

When asked whether the former Prime Minister's case meets the requirements for a retrial, he replied, "Since Han Man-ho, who wrote the memorandum, is already deceased, there are many opinions that this is disadvantageous for a retrial," and added, "I hope the Ministry of Justice, courts, prosecution, and other relevant institutions will first take a closer look."

Park Joo-min, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party, also said on MBC Radio's "Kim Jong-bae's Focus" that "There has been a lot of talk in the media about whether the retrial will overturn the verdict or not, but that is something for much later," and added, "I don't think we should be considering that from now on."

Regarding the investigation by the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit (Gongu-cheo), he said, "It is true that this falls within the scope of their investigation," and "Since Gongu-cheo has independence, it is a matter for their judgment."