Handonghun: "Politics must not become a tool to protect politicians under criminal investigation"

Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Han Dong-hoon, Minister of Justice, commented on the extraparliamentary actions of the Democratic Party of Korea, which has been criticizing the prosecution's investigation of Representative Lee Jae-myung, stating, "Politics should be a tool to protect the people, not a tool to protect politicians under criminal investigation."

Minister Han emphasized this to reporters on the afternoon of the 6th as he visited the National Assembly to attend a government questioning session. He said, "In a democratic and rule-of-law country, warrants are issued by the courts," adding, "Are you saying the courts are ruling or governing dictatorially?" and "The more you continue to make inconsistent statements, the more it highlights the wrongful intention to obstruct criminal investigations."

Regarding reports that the Democratic Party of Korea is preparing a bill to publicly disclose prosecutors to check prosecutorial power, he sarcastically remarked, "If the 169 seats are being used to somehow block the criminal investigation of Representative Lee, then rather than shaking and damaging the judicial system and causing harm to the people, it would be less harmful to the public to enact a law that explicitly states that certain individuals will not be punished even if they commit crimes."

On the first trial verdicts concerning former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk and former Dongyang University professor Jung Kyung-shim, he refuted Cho's statements by saying, "It is not true that there was no indictment or acquittal related to the private equity fund." On the 3rd, Cho Kuk was sentenced to two years in prison and fined 6 million won, stating, "The private equity fund was not even indicted." Minister Han added, "The verdict for Professor Jung also found her guilty of using non-public information, violating the Real Name Financial Transaction Act, and evidence tampering, and this was confirmed by the Supreme Court."