"No Unjust Punishment"... Han Dong-hoon and Na Kyung-won in Unison over Dongtan Police Station Controversy

Handonghun "We Must Respond Strongly to False Accusation Charges"
Nakyeongwon "There Should Be No Infringement on Citizens' Rights"
Criticism Posts About Hwaseong Dongtan Police Station Continue to Appear

A man in his 20s who was accused of sexual assault after using the bathroom in an apartment gym is claiming police coercion during the investigation. Meanwhile, Han Dong-hoon, former Emergency Response Committee Chairman and a presidential candidate of the People Power Party, and lawmaker Na Kyung-won jointly criticized the situation, stating, "No innocent person should be punished."

(From the left) Former Emergency Response Committee Chairman Han Dong-hoon, Assemblywoman Na Kyung-won.
[Photo by Kim Hyun-min, Asia Economy]

On the 28th, former Chairman Han posted on his social media (SNS) Facebook, saying, "Under no circumstances should investigative agencies display coercive attitudes or make premature judgments," and added, "The fact that innocent people should not be punished must be fully considered in all investigation and trial procedures." Among the People Power Party presidential candidates and prominent politicians, Han is the first to address this issue.

He continued, "While serving as Minister of Justice, I took firm measures to strictly punish and prevent sex crimes, such as implementing the Korean-style Jessica Law. At the same time, I revised the enforcement decree to allow prosecutors to directly investigate false accusation cases to fill the investigative gap caused by the Democratic Party's '검수완박' (complete overhaul of prosecution powers)," emphasizing, "We must both respond strongly to crimes and ensure that no innocent person suffers injustice."

Na Kyung-won, a former judge, also mentioned the case on her Facebook. She said, "No one should suffer the injustice of presumed guilt simply because they are male," and added, "It is unacceptable and an infringement on citizens' rights for police officers to recklessly presume guilt and obstruct the right to defense during investigations."

She further emphasized, "Strict responses to sex crimes are an important task for our society, but the constitutional principle of presumption of innocence must be taken very seriously," and stated, "Our political circles must actively pay attention to the anxiety and fear men experience regarding false accusations."

"Police identified him as a suspect in a sex crime and continued speaking informally"

Posts criticizing the behavior and speech of the police are continuously being uploaded on the Hwaseong Dongtan Police Station's free bulletin board. Please note that profanity and real names have been blurred.
[Photo by Hwaseong Dongtan Police Station Free Bulletin Board Capture]

Earlier, on the 25th, a video was posted on the YouTube channel 'Eokulhan Namja' (Innocent Man), in which the channel operator, Mr. A, claimed he was unfairly investigated by the police after using the men's bathroom in an apartment gym. Mr. A complained that the police identified him as a suspect in a sex crime and spoke to him informally, ignoring him.

According to the transcript released by Mr. A, although he was still a suspect (someone suspected but not yet proven to have committed a crime), the person believed to be a police officer continued to speak informally, asking, "Are you a student? A soldier?" and "How old are you now?" When Mr. A took out his ID card but his hand trembled, the officer joked, "You can take it out slowly. Why are your hands shaking?" When Mr. A visited the police station to check the case number, the officer said, "If you have nothing to hide, just stay still."

Mr. A's video became a major topic on various online communities and social media. As the controversy grew, the Women and Youth Division of Hwaseong Dongtan Police Station, which is investigating the case, issued a statement saying, "We will conduct a strict investigation based on objective evidence to ensure no one suffers injustice. We will verify the facts regarding whether any inappropriate language or behavior by police officers occurred."

However, despite the Hwaseong Dongtan Police Station's explanation, the controversy has not subsided. On the 27th, angry netizens posted numerous criticisms of the police's language and behavior on the Hwaseong Dongtan Police Station's public bulletin board, sparking further public debate.