Clash Between the Ministry of Justice and Prosecution vs. the Democratic Party Reaches Its Peak

Since the launch of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, the ongoing clashes between the Ministry of Justice, the prosecution, and the Democratic Party of Korea have recently reached a peak. The Ministry of Justice and the prosecution have actively countered the sharp attacks and allegations from Democratic Party lawmakers, creating a tense atmosphere several times.

On the 13th, the legal community expects the conflict between the two sides to intensify further this week. This is because the Democratic Party lawmakers' strong remarks toward the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution last week have brought the prosecution's various investigations targeting the Democratic Party close to the stage where key figures may be summoned.

Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

Analysts say that the escalating confrontation is related to the 21st National Assembly election scheduled for April 15 next year. With the election just five months away, lawmakers intending to run have already begun courting voters. Democratic Party lawmakers have targeted the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution to expand their influence and strengthen their positions. It appears to be a calculated move to boost approval ratings by attacking the prosecution, which is President Yoon Suk-yeol's "home base" but has become a "common enemy" for Democratic Party lawmakers, and the Ministry of Justice led by Minister Han Dong-hoon, who has emerged as an icon for conservatives. Lawmakers under prosecution investigations are showing particularly heightened stances.

Han Dong-hoon, Emerging as Next Presidential Contender, Ministry of Justice Becomes Opposition's Target

Former Democratic Party leader Song Young-gil called Minister Han "an arrogant guy" and "a kid" at a book launch event held on the 9th in Jongno-gu, Seoul. He added, "This kid came to the National Assembly where 300 lawmakers are his seniors in life and many are senior prosecutors, yet he mocked and humiliated them. Should we just leave such a guy alone? I want to throw a water bottle at his head." He insisted that Minister Han must be impeached.

Although Democratic Party current and former lawmakers have always criticized Minister Han, the intensity of their remarks has recently increased. Prior to Song, on the 8th, Supreme Council member Ko Min-jung appeared on a radio program and called Minister Han, who said "If you want to impeach me, go ahead," a "so-called attention seeker." Minister Han responded to Song's statement that he had "ruined South Korean politics for decades with a high-handed and outdated mindset." He told Council member Ko that "normal social life would be difficult" for her.

Former Democratic Party leader Song Young-gil made heated remarks about Han Dong-hoon, Minister of Justice.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

In political and legal circles, the concentrated attacks by the Democratic Party on Minister Han are widely analyzed as linked to his rapid rise as a next presidential contender. Minister Han has recently appeared in various opinion polls as a candidate for the next presidential election. According to a Gallup Korea survey conducted from the 7th to 9th among 1,001 adults aged 18 and over, Minister Han (13%) ranked second after Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung (21%) as the "preferred future political leader." He surpassed other prominent ruling party presidential candidates such as Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon (4%) and Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo (4%) by a large margin, ranking first among ruling party candidates. Given this situation, there is growing speculation in political circles that Minister Han will run in next year's general election as a stepping stone for a presidential bid.

As Minister Han rises as the ruling party's next presidential candidate, the Democratic Party may have intensified its efforts to check him. To this end, the Democratic Party is mobilizing all means available in the National Assembly. Recently, the Democratic Party has been pressuring the Ministry of Justice led by Minister Han by leveraging budget review rights. The party is considering cutting the entire special activity fund budget of 275 million KRW related to drug investigations by the Ministry of Justice. Despite criticism that they are tightening the Ministry of Justice's "financial lifeline" to shake Minister Han, the Democratic Party insists, saying the Ministry of Justice is "exaggerating trivial matters." The Ministry of Justice stated that it "finds this difficult to understand."

Impeachment of Active Prosecutors... "Virtually a Declaration of War"

The Democratic Party is also tightening its offensive against the prosecution. On the 11th, through a briefing by Chief Spokesperson Kwon Chil-seung, the party raised suspicions of the prosecution's misuse of special activity funds and demanded that "the prosecution and the Ministry of Justice strictly disclose the usage details."

The long-standing tension between the Democratic Party and the prosecution deepened after the prosecution searched the Democratic Party headquarters last October in connection with the political funds law violation case involving former Democratic Research Institute deputy director Kim Yong. Recently, the conflict has become even more acute as the prosecution has frequently searched Democratic Party-related locations within the National Assembly over incidents such as the "party convention envelope distribution" case.

Prosecution [Image source=Yonhap News]

Amid this, the Democratic Party's filing of impeachment motions against active prosecutors has virtually turned the situation into an all-out confrontation. Voices within the prosecution say it is "tantamount to a declaration of war." Former Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Anyang Branch of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, Ahn Dong-wan, was impeached in September through a Democratic Party-led motion and is currently undergoing impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court. On the 9th, impeachment motions against Deputy Chief Prosecutor Son Jun-sung of Daegu High Prosecutors' Office and Second Deputy Chief Prosecutor Lee Jung-seop of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office were filed but later withdrawn. Deputy Chief Prosecutor Son is on trial over allegations of "prosecution complaint fabrication," and Deputy Chief Prosecutor Lee, who is leading investigations into various allegations against Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, has recently faced allegations including false residence registration and unauthorized access to others' criminal records related to his in-laws. Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok condemned the motions as "intimidation impeachments aimed at threatening prosecutors and paralyzing the prosecution."

Attention is now focused on the prosecution's future investigative moves. The prosecution continues to investigate remaining allegations against Lee Jae-myung related to Ssangyong Group's "North Korea remittance" and "special favors for a hotel in Jeongja-dong, Seongnam," while accelerating investigations targeting the Democratic Party over the "party convention envelope distribution" and "presidential election interference and public opinion manipulation" cases. Summonses for former leader Song Young-gil, lawmakers Lim Jong-seok and Heo Jong-sik regarding the envelope case, and lawmaker Kim Byung-wook regarding public opinion manipulation are reportedly imminent.