Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon is attending the 53rd Cabinet Meeting held at the Government Seoul Office on the 6th. [Photo by Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Han Dong-hoon, Minister of Justice, has taken legal action against Kim Eui-gyeom, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea who raised the 'Cheongdam-dong drinking party suspicion,' and the YouTube media outlet Citizen Press The Tam-sa personnel.
Minister Han announced on the 6th that on the 2nd, he filed a lawsuit at the Seoul Central District Court seeking 1 billion KRW in damages against Representative Kim, The Tam-sa reporters, and Mr. A, who is known as the initial whistleblower of the suspicion. Minister Han also filed a criminal complaint with the police against them for defamation in violation of the Information and Communications Network Act.
In the comprehensive audit of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee last October, Representative Kim raised suspicions that Minister Han held a late-night drinking party at a high-end bar in Cheongdam-dong on July 19-20 with President Yoon and 30 lawyers from the law firm Kim & Chang. Minister Han denied this. Subsequently, conservative groups filed a complaint against Representative Kim and others for defamation by spreading false information, prompting a police investigation.
Cellist Mr. B, who is known to have been at the scene and is the ex-partner of Mr. A, testified during the police investigation that "it was a lie made to deceive my ex-boyfriend," stating that the story about the drinking party was not true. Representative Kim expressed "deep regret" and took a step back. Minister Han said to Representative Kim, "There is no need to apologize; you must take responsibility."
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