Kim Eo-jun (left) and Han Dong-hoon. [Yonhap]
Kim Eo-jun (left) and Han Dong-hoon. [Yonhap]

Broadcaster Kim Eo-jun lashed out at independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon on Monday after Han raised allegations that the late former President Roh Moo-hyun had accepted illicit payments, saying Han was invoking Roh's name recklessly.

Han shot back, telling Kim to "speak with facts."

On his YouTube program "Kim Eo-jun's Humility Is Hard News Factory," Kim condemned Han for recently bringing up the bribery allegations against the former president.

"Just as the progressive camp looks at former President Park Chung-hee as a starting point for criticism, Han Dong-hoon has made President Roh Moo-hyun his keyword," Kim said.

He added that conservatives had until now refrained from attacking Roh over his death, saying it was "too obvious" that prosecutors had hounded him.

Kim said Han lacked basic respect or decency toward other people, and argued that Han had calculated that striking at Roh would provoke the strongest reaction — and that provoking such a reaction would help him grow politically.

"I think the strategy is to attack here, get the democratic camp to come after him, and then use the fact that the entire democratic camp is targeting him to present himself as someone important," Kim said.

Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Yun Geon-young, also appearing on the program that day, called it a "calculated move."

"I thought to myself: why would Han Dong-hoon make this reckless move on Friday? It's groundwork for the revival of prosecutorial power," Yun said.

He went on to say, "Roh was the one who started prosecutorial reform — it was a very important factor. So this is the beginning of an effort to tarnish Roh Moo-hyun's image. I think this will keep happening, over and over, at any time."

Han responded by posting on his Facebook page, writing that Kim Eo-jun — whom he described as a power broker within the Democratic Party camp — had said on Monday that Han had "dared" to invoke Roh's name carelessly.

"Mr. Kim Eo-jun, drop the arrogant nonsense about 'how dare you' and speak with facts," Han wrote. He then asked whether the prosecution's investigation of Roh had been fabricated, and whether it was true that the former president or his family had received hundreds of millions of won from sponsor Park Yeon-cha — including 300 million won worth of Piaget watches and the cost of a house in New Jersey.


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