![Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, elected in the Busan Buk-gu A by-election, takes his oath and delivers remarks at a plenary session of the 22nd National Assembly held June 5 to elect the second-half speaker and deputy speakers. [Yonhap]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/06/19/news-p.v1.20260619.995de0ada485409288ec5359ec58ec16_P1.png)
A man in his 30s has been arrested after posting online threats to kill independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, who represents Busan's Buk-gu A constituency.
The Incheon Gyeyang Police Station said Thursday it had apprehended the suspect, identified only as A, on charges of public intimidation and was questioning him.
A is accused of posting a message on Instagram this month stating he would kill Han.
Police received a report at around 10:25 a.m. Thursday that a post threatening to kill a specific politician had appeared online.
A was arrested in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. Police tracked him down by tracing the internet protocol address linked to the post.
Investigators plan to determine the dates and frequency of the threatening posts and look into the suspect's motive and the full circumstances of the case.
Han joins push to abolish early voting: 'A long-held view of mine'
Han has also co-sponsored a bill to amend the Public Official Election Act that would abolish early voting and extend the main voting period to two days, saying it reflects a position he has long held.
On Wednesday, Han shared on his Facebook page a news article quoting a social media post he had written last year, writing that abolishing early voting and extending the main voting period had been "a long-held view" of his.
In the article, Han was quoted as saying, "Mold grows easily in the shade where sunlight does not reach," adding that "the curtains must be thrown open so that no corner of the National Election Commission is left in the dark."
He said the remarks explained why, as justice minister, he had called for mandatory hand-counting of ballots, and why, as interim party leader and later party leader, he had publicly argued that election officials should personally stamp early ballots and that early voting should be replaced with an extended main voting period.
Han was one of 25 co-sponsors of the bill, which People Power Party lawmaker Park Dae-chul introduced Wednesday.
The bill would scrap the early voting system and extend the main voting day from one day to two. It also includes a provision to reintroduce an absentee voting system, under which voters who register in advance and cannot participate in the main vote would be allowed to cast ballots over a two-day window beginning four days before election day.
ygmoon@heraldcorp.com
