Title of Chaebol Investigator as Grim Reaper of Business World
After Investigation of Cho Kuk Family, Opposing Moon Government as Joseon’s Top Prosecutor
Party Leader Three Months After Resignation of Emergency Committee Chair Following 'General Election Defeat'
Han Dong-hoon, a candidate who left many nicknames such as 'Reaper of the Business World,' 'Joseon’s Best Prosecutor,' 'Leader of Yoon Seok-yeol’s Faction,' and 'Ruling Party Firefighter' with every move, was elected as the leader of the People Power Party on the 23rd with 320,702 votes (62.84%). Although he resigned as the emergency committee chairman immediately after the crushing defeat in the April 10 general election, he revived as the party leader in just over three months, taking on the tasks of managing the party and cooperating with opposition parties such as the Democratic Party and the People’s Innovation Party as the ruling party’s starting pitcher.
Leader Han was born in Seoul in 1973 and graduated from Hyundai High School in Seoul and Seoul National University Law School. In 1995, as a senior in college, he passed the 37th Judicial Examination and completed the 27th Judicial Research and Training Institute, then served as a legal officer in the Air Force. In 2001, he was appointed as a prosecutor at the Seoul District Prosecutors’ Office (now Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office). The prosecution, which paid attention to his record of investigating and arresting a lieutenant colonel in his unit on bribery charges during his military service, is well known to have assigned Han to the Seoul District Prosecutors’ Office after his military service.
On the 23rd, Han Dong-hoon, a candidate for the party leader, is entering at the 4th People Power Party Convention held at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@
From his early days as a junior prosecutor, Han joined major investigation teams based on his outstanding investigative and planning skills. In 2003, he was assigned to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office Central Investigation Department, where he built a relationship with President Yoon Seok-yeol while investigating cases such as SK Group’s accounting fraud and the Grand National Party’s cash-for-votes scandal involving illegal election funds. In 2006, he investigated and indicted Chung Mong-koo, chairman of Hyundai Motor Company, on charges of slush funds and investigated the sale of Korea Exchange Bank to Lone Star. He also graduated from Columbia University Law School’s LL.M. program and passed the New York State Bar Exam. During the Lee Myung-bak administration, from 2009 to 2010, he served as a senior administrative officer in the Civil Affairs Office of the Blue House, and from 2011, he worked as a prosecutor in the Ministry of Justice’s Prosecution Division and as head of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office Policy Planning Division in 2013, honing his planning skills and political acumen. In 2015, during the Park Geun-hye administration, he became the first head of the Fair Trade Investigation Division at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, where he arrested Jang Se-ju, chairman of Dongkuk Steel, on overseas gambling charges. He also joined the investigation team for the state affairs manipulation scandal, indicting Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Jae-yong, earning him the nickname 'Reaper of the Business World.'
After the inauguration of the Moon Jae-in government in 2017, Han was appointed as the 3rd Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, leading investigations into former President Lee Myung-bak’s alleged real ownership of DAS and abuses of judicial administrative power. In 2019, he was promoted to head of the Anti-Corruption and Violent Crime Division at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, becoming the youngest ever chief prosecutor, and continued to rise within the prosecution. However, after leading the investigation into the family of Cho Kuk, he faced pressure to resign from the government and ruling party (Democratic Party). Nevertheless, he left numerous memorable quotes such as 'All public officials are merely public servants before the people,' and 'If you wanted a hunting dog that only brings what power asks for, you shouldn’t have used me,' earning the nickname 'Joseon’s Best Prosecutor.' In 2022, President Yoon Seok-yeol surprised many by appointing Han as Minister of Justice during his transition period, marking a brilliant comeback. During his one year and eight months as Minister of Justice, he led the approval of the arrest motion against Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, and although criticized as part of the 'Yoon faction,' he explained his relationship with President Yoon by saying, 'I did not rely on personal connections, nor did I blindly follow.'
Han has rapidly emerged as a potential presidential candidate by demonstrating a calm yet straightforward logic and speech style, as well as fashion sense, throughout his prosecutorial career. In December last year, following Kim Ki-hyun’s resignation as leader of the People Power Party, Han was appointed as emergency committee chairman, becoming the ruling party’s firefighter and closer, leading the April 10 general election for 108 days. However, conflicts known as the Yoon-Han clash arose after he made remarks about 'the public’s standards' regarding the controversy over First Lady Kim Keon-hee’s luxury handbag, leading to resignation pressure from the presidential office. Additionally, the appointment of Lee Jong-seop as ambassador to Australia, soaring inflation, and strikes by medical residents over medical school expansion became adverse factors, resulting in a crushing defeat in the general election. With Han reclaiming the leadership of the People Power Party on this day, attention is focused on whether he can become the ruling party’s starting pitcher to overcome various pressures from the opposition.
▲ Born in Seoul in 1973 ▲ Hyundai High School ▲ Seoul National University Law School ▲ Graduated from Columbia University Law School LL.M. program ▲ Passed the 37th Judicial Examination ▲ Completed Judicial Research and Training Institute (27th class) ▲ Air Force legal officer (Gangneung) ▲ Prosecutor at Seoul District Prosecutors’ Office ▲ Prosecutor at Cheonan Branch of Daejeon District Prosecutors’ Office ▲ Research prosecutor at Supreme Prosecutors’ Office Central Investigation Department ▲ Passed New York State Bar Exam ▲ Prosecutor at Busan District Prosecutors’ Office ▲ Prosecutor at Ministry of Justice Corporate Legal Affairs Division ▲ Senior administrative officer at the Civil Affairs Office of the Presidential Office ▲ Prosecutor at Ministry of Justice Prosecution Division ▲ Head of Policy Planning Division at Supreme Prosecutors’ Office ▲ Head of Fair Trade and Tax Investigation Division at Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office ▲ Team 2 leader of Special Investigation Unit on Corruption Crimes ▲ 3rd Deputy Chief Prosecutor at Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office ▲ Head of Anti-Corruption and Violent Crime Division at Supreme Prosecutors’ Office ▲ Deputy Chief Prosecutor at Busan High Prosecutors’ Office ▲ Research fellow at Judicial Research and Training Institute ▲ Deputy director of Judicial Research and Training Institute ▲ Minister of Justice ▲ Emergency Committee Chairman of People Power Party ▲ Leader of People Power Party
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