Choo Mi-ae: "After failing to link Yoo Si-min, commissioned accusation plot"... "Former Prosecutor General Yoon's wife also involved"
Han Dong-hoon: "Posting investigation and inspection data on Facebook is a clear breach of official secrets"... "Considering legal action"
[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin, Legal Affairs Specialist] On the 3rd, a dispute erupted between former Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae and Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon over allegations of "commissioned accusations" involving former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, as reported by Newsbus.
Former Minister Chu suggested the possibility that Prosecutor Han was involved in the allegations and posted photos of the Channel A Coercion Attempt Incident Investigation Committee's report. In response, Prosecutor Han announced legal action, accusing former Minister Chu?who led the so-called collusion between prosecutors and media?of once again trying to implicate him with false information in a stalking-like manner. Prosecutor Han particularly pointed out that the materials posted by former Minister Chu on Facebook are evidence from ongoing investigations and inspections, and leaking them constitutes a clear violation of official secrets.
Chu Mi-ae: "Yoon Seok-yeol, Kim Geon-hee, Han Dong-hoon Collusion"... "The Corruption Investigation Office Must Immediately Investigate"
The first to open fire was former Minister Chu.
On the afternoon of the same day, former Minister Chu posted on her Facebook along with four photos, raising suspicions that Prosecutor Han was involved in the allegations.
She stated that Newsbus identified April 3 of last year as the date the commissioned accusation took place, and that the day before, April 2, was when the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Department ordered a fact-finding investigation related to the Channel A reporter's coercion incident report.
She added that on March 31 of the same year, MBC aired a report on the "collusion between prosecutors and media," and the next day, April 1, there were 12 phone calls between former Prosecutor General Yoon and Prosecutor Han, and 45 group chat messages in a KakaoTalk chatroom among Son Jun-sung, then the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Investigation Information Policy Officer and identified as the mastermind behind the commissioned accusation, spokesperson Kwon Soon-jung, and Prosecutor Han.
Furthermore, on April 2, there were 17 phone calls between former Prosecutor General Yoon and Prosecutor Han, and 30 group chat messages among the three individuals.
Former Minister Chu presented these multiple phone calls and KakaoTalk conversations just before the commissioned accusation as evidence, stating, "If related to the commissioned accusation, Han Dong-hoon's desperate refusal to provide his phone password and to block the search is likely connected to this."
She also posted part of a transcript of a conversation between former Channel A reporter Lee Dong-jae and Prosecutor Han, saying that the 'Channel A Investigation Report' she partially photographed reveals statements by Prosecutor Han that suggest he conspired to commit crimes using the Crime Policy Planning Office (currently the Investigation Information Policy Office) of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office.
Former Minister Chu claimed that former Prosecutor General Yoon and Prosecutor Han appear to have jointly orchestrated the commissioned accusation operation.
She said, "In light of this, under Yoon Seok-yeol's command, Han Dong-hoon used the Crime Policy Planning Office (Investigation Information Policy Office) to carry out the first 'Yoo Si-min framing operation,' but when it was exposed by whistleblower X, he used Son Jun-sung of the Crime Policy Planning Office to conduct the second 'commissioned accusation operation' on April 3."
She added, "It is presumed that Yoon Seok-yeol and his wife Kim Geon-hee, along with Han Dong-hoon, conspired and planned this, and clear traces of this are visible." She also raised the possibility that Kim Geon-hee, the wife of former Prosecutor General Yoon, was involved in the commissioned accusation operation.
Former Minister Chu cited the number of phone calls and KakaoTalk messages exchanged between Kim and Prosecutor Han as evidence.
She stated, "According to the 'disciplinary decision document' on Yoon Seok-yeol, there were nine phone calls between Han Dong-hoon and Kim Geon-hee over about four months around this time, and 397 calls with Prosecutor General Yoon."
She continued, "Also, over three months, Han Dong-hoon exchanged 332 KakaoTalk messages with Kim Geon-hee and 2,330 with Prosecutor General Yoon."
Finally, former Minister Chu urged the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Department to promptly secure evidence and the Corruption Investigation Office to immediately begin investigations.
She said, "It must be clearly revealed why a subordinate stationed in a provincial office had an average of 100 phone calls per month with his superior and exchanged hundreds of messages with the wife, and how this is related to the conspiracy of these cases. The Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Department should immediately secure evidence, and the Corruption Investigation Office should start investigations before evidence destruction is completed."
Han Dong-hoon: "Calls with the Prosecutor General Were Part of Official Duties"... "Considering Legal Action Against Former Minister Chu for Official Secrets Leakage and Violation of the Communications Privacy Act"
Several hours after former Minister Chu posted the Facebook post, Prosecutor Han released a statement titled "Han Dong-hoon's Position Regarding Former Minister Chu Mi-ae's Facebook Post on September 3," directly refuting her claims.
In the statement, Prosecutor Han identified former Minister Chu as the mastermind behind the "collusion between prosecutors and media" operation and said she is indulging in delusions again after the operation's miserable failure.
He said, "The so-called 'collusion between prosecutors and media' operation led by former Minister Chu Mi-ae and others resulted in all reporters being acquitted, the investigation team leader convicted of abuse of authority, and prosecutions of Choi Kang-wook and Yoo Si-min for spreading false information, while I was cleared of suspicion nine times by the investigation team." He added, "I regret that Ms. Chu cannot accept the miserable failure of her 'collusion operation' and still indulges in such delusions."
Prosecutor Han dismissed the allegations of his involvement raised by former Minister Chu on Facebook as completely baseless.
He said, "Ms. Chu distorted and claimed as if I said those things or that there is a recording of my words, but I have 'absolutely' never said such things. If I had, the investigation team she personally selected would not have cleared me nine times, and the court would not have acquitted all the reporters. This is a clear case of spreading false information."
Prosecutor Han also stated his position on the controversial "commissioned accusation" case.
He said, "I 'absolutely' do not know anything about the accusation-related issues reported in the media," and "the timing was when I was working at the Busan High Prosecutors' Office."
He added, "There is no faint clue that could raise suspicion about me as former Minister Chu claims, and even the media does not raise such suspicions," and "how can private KakaoTalk conversations with colleagues I am close to be grounds to forcibly implicate me?"
Prosecutor Han explained that the frequent calls with former Prosecutor General Yoon were natural due to his position, and calls with Kim Geon-hee were made when contact with former Prosecutor General Yoon was unavailable.
He said, "I was continuously performing important tasks that no one else could replace, such as the trial of the Cho Kuk case while serving as the 3rd Deputy Chief of the Central District Prosecutors' Office and head of the Anti-Corruption and Serious Crime Division of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, trials involving two former presidents, court-related cases, and Samsung cases. Therefore, it was my natural duty to report the situation to the Prosecutor General frequently. I wonder why I have to explain this, but contact with the Prosecutor General's spouse occurred when contact with the Prosecutor General was difficult. The number of KakaoTalk messages mentioned by Ms. Chu was counted line by line, message by message, thus exaggerating the actual number of conversations," he explained.
Prosecutor Han said he is considering legal action, stating that the materials former Minister Chu posted on Facebook are investigation and inspection materials that should not have been leaked.
He said, "Former Minister Chu illegally leaked official secrets she learned while serving as Minister of Justice for her political purposes. This is a clear crime of leaking official secrets."
He added, "The disciplinary materials related to former Prosecutor General Yoon attached by Ms. Chu on Facebook are investigation and inspection materials still under investigation and must never be leaked. Not only Ms. Chu, who was responsible at the time, but also public officials who provided such materials should be punished as 'accomplices.' This is also a crime of violating the duty of confidentiality under the Communications Privacy Act."
Prosecutor Han also criticized former Minister Chu for publicly disclosing his phone call and KakaoTalk message counts on Facebook and said he is considering legal action.
He said, "Ms. Chu's leaking of this information on Facebook also constitutes the crime of leaking official secrets and violation of the Communications Privacy Act," and "her attempt to implicate me with false information in a stalking-like manner without any evidence is a clear criminal act."
He added, "I will consider legal measures commensurate with former Minister Chu's wrongdoing. It appears that Ms. Chu just deleted some of the attached photos in her Facebook post to avoid punishment for leaking official secrets and violating the Communications Privacy Act, but the crimes already committed cannot be undone."
In fact, former Minister Chu has deleted two of the four photos originally posted.
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