Han "Park Chandae in charge of fake news instead of Kim Uigyeom?"
Kim "Why involve me in this matter?"
Han Dong-hoon, Minister of Justice, and Kim Eui-gyeom, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, known as rivals, engaged in another heated exchange.
When Minister Han was accused by Democratic Party lawmaker Park Chan-dae of opposing the disclosure of virtual assets by public officials, he demanded an apology, saying, "Has Park Chan-dae now taken over the role of spreading fake news from the Democratic Party instead of Kim Eui-gyeom?" In response, Kim questioned, "Why are you dragging me into this issue?" sparking a debate.
On the 19th, Kim posted on Facebook, "Even if I am disliked, this is too much. Not even a mere minister would behave like this," and "Moreover, Minister Han filed a civil lawsuit against me for 1 billion won and also reported me to the police. The lawsuit and investigation are ongoing, so is it appropriate for the sitting Minister of Justice to keep making such remarks? Wouldn't the courts and investigative agencies feel pressured and treat this as a 'guideline'?"
Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon (left), Kim Eui-gyeom, member of the Democratic Party of Korea (right) [Image source=Yonhap News]
He continued, "Putting everything aside, Minister Han sent such content through the 'Ministry of Justice text notification system,'" and "Is it acceptable to spew messages filled with personal grudges through a system operated with national budget funds? If the Ministry of Justice's official system is used for personal purposes, how can we be sure that the prosecution's investigation is not used for political gain?"
Minister Han immediately rebutted. In a statement released that day, he said, "Kim lied again, claiming that he issued a statement through the 'Ministry of Justice text notification system' operated with national budget funds," adding, "Such a system does not even exist."
He added, "I conveyed my position directly to the press corps via my personal mobile phone without going through the Ministry of Justice spokesperson's office," and "Of course, no national budget was used for this."
Minister Han and lawmaker Kim have had several heated exchanges whenever Minister Han appeared before the National Assembly for audits. In October last year, during the Legislation and Judiciary Committee audit, Kim raised the so-called 'Cheongdam-dong drinking party allegation,' claiming that President Yoon, Minister Han, and lawyers from Kim & Chang law firm had a late-night drinking party, which led to Minister Han filing a lawsuit against him.
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