"Even Now, Yoon Seok-yeol and Han Dong-hoon... Claims of Unbiased Prosecutors" Direct Hit from Jo Guk on Family Investigation's Bitter History

In 2019, a bitter history with the 'Joguk Ilga' investigation
"Some still claim he was a fair prosecutor"
Debate over 'Joguk's Time' continues
Yoon's 'Boksim' nomination sparks 'Gangdaegang' standoff with Democratic Party
Experts say "Success depends on persuading the centrist voters"

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is introducing Han Dong-hoon, the nominee for Minister of Justice, at the 2nd Cabinet Announcement held on the 13th at the briefing room of the 20th Presidential Transition Committee in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] "Even now, there are those who claim that Yoon Seok-yeol and Han Dong-hoon were impartial prosecutors without political ambition or bias."

This is a post written by former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk on his Facebook on the 13th, the day President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol nominated Han Dong-hoon, Deputy Director of the Judicial Research and Training Institute (Chief Prosecutor), as the next Minister of Justice candidate.

As political turmoil arises over President-elect Yoon's sudden appointment of Han as a candidate, it is interpreted that former Minister Cho opened fire first.

On the same day, President-elect Yoon held a press conference at the Presidential Transition Committee in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and announced the second cabinet appointments. Han was among those nominated as minister candidates that day.

Regarding Han, President-elect Yoon emphasized, "Over the past 20 years, he has served as an expert in various fields such as investigation and trial, prosecutorial systems, and legal administration while holding key positions in the Ministry of Justice and prosecution," adding, "He has achieved outstanding results in investigating corruption crimes, unmatched in history."

The Democratic Party immediately reacted strongly. They criticized that nominating Han, who is practically President-elect Yoon's closest aide, as Minister of Justice is tantamount to revealing an intention to privatize prosecutorial power.

On the same day, Park Hong-geun, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, said at a meeting of personnel hearing secretaries held at the National Assembly main building, "(Han's nomination) is not a personnel disaster but a personnel terror against the people," and criticized, "It declared to the public the intention to create a ruthless prosecutorial republic."

Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk directly criticized President-elect Yoon and candidate Han through Facebook on this day. / Photo by Online Community Capture

Meanwhile, former Minister Cho also poured criticism targeting Han. In his Facebook post that day, he pointed out, "Even now, there are 'progressive' figures or legal reporters who claim that Yoon Seok-yeol and Han Dong-hoon were impartial prosecutors without political ambition or bias." This post was only visible to netizens who had mutually befriended him.

◆The Bad Blood Between Cho Kuk and Han Dong-hoon Began with the 'Cho Kuk Investigation'

The bad blood between former Minister Cho and Han began in 2019 during the 'Cho Kuk investigation.' At that time, Han served as the head of the Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in July, assisting then Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, and from August, one month later, he led the investigation into Cho Kuk's family.

As the investigation progressed, friction arose between Han and the ruling party. Especially after former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae, who succeeded Cho Kuk, and Yoon Seok-yeol clashed in earnest, Han had to endure setbacks. He was demoted four times within six months, failing to hold the Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Division chief position for even half a year. He was assigned to less investigative roles such as Deputy Chief Prosecutor at Busan High Prosecutors' Office, Research Fellow at the Yongin Branch of the Judicial Research and Training Institute, Research Fellow at the Jincheon Headquarters, and Deputy Director of the Judicial Research and Training Institute.

During this process, former Minister Cho also had conflicts with Han. In his memoir "The Time of Cho Kuk," published last year, Cho revealed that right after Yoon was appointed Prosecutor General, he requested that Han be promoted from the 3rd Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office to Chief Prosecutor of the same office, and stated this claim was "true."

Cho said, "I firmly rejected this request. Honestly, I was dumbfounded," explaining, "I thought Han's career and age were insufficient for the position of Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, and more importantly, I believed it was wrong to appoint the Chief Prosecutor as the closest aide to the Prosecutor General."

Former Minister Cho also criticized President-elect Yoon and candidate Han in his memoir 'The Time of Cho Kuk.' / Photo by Yonhap News

He added, "If by any chance Prosecutor General Yoon becomes president, Han Dong-hoon will go to the position he was denied at that time or even higher."

In response, Han directly countered in an interview with a media outlet at the time, saying that "The Time of Cho Kuk" contained "no new content, just the same things repeated by former Minister Cho, his followers, SNS, and YouTube."

He also criticized, "There are prosecutors who side with power to advance their careers, but there are also prosecutors who stand against power to enforce the law. The prosecutors that Cho-style prosecutorial reform desires are clearly the former," adding, "The Cho Kuk incident destroyed rules and common sense and made this country worse."

◆Will the Democratic Party's 'Complete Removal of Prosecutorial Investigation Rights' Gain Momentum? Experts Say 'Convincing the Moderate Base Is Key, Not Just the Hardline Supporters'

Some view that Han's nomination might actually consolidate the Democratic Party's support base. The fact that former prosecutors occupy key cabinet positions is said to justify the Democratic Party's push for 'Complete Removal of Prosecutorial Investigation Rights (Geomsu Wanbak).'

Democratic Party lawmaker Kang Byung-won said on the 13th after a meeting of the party's personnel hearing secretaries, "President-elect Yoon nominated Han Dong-hoon out of a burning desire for revenge, putting forward a proxy to carry out political retaliation," adding, "After long discussions, we decided on the separation of investigation and prosecution, and Han's nomination is strengthening prosecutorial reform."

Experts foresee that the strong confrontation between the Democratic Party and the People Power Party will continue due to President-elect Yoon's appointments, but the outcome depends on the sentiment of the moderate voters.

Choi Jin, President of the Presidential Leadership Institute, explained, "Han Dong-hoon, as Minister of Justice candidate, may rally the progressive camp supporting prosecutorial reform, but the most important factor in upcoming phases such as the June 1 local elections is who wins the hearts of the moderates," adding, "In future hearings, power will be given to the forces that gain legitimacy among moderates."

However, regarding the appointment of some figures from the Moon Jae-in administration, including former Minister Cho, he pointed out, "Rather than consolidating support, it could cause harm," and said, "It was Cho Kuk, Choo Mi-ae, and others who highlighted Yoon Seok-yeol, then Prosecutor General, as a presidential candidate."

He added, "Just as the People Power Party overcame the 'Impeachment River' after the impeachment phase, the Democratic Party needs efforts to persuade moderates of the legitimacy of prosecutorial reform beyond the hardline supporters, surpassing the 'Cho Kuk River.'"