Police launch investigation into allegations lawmaker Han Dong-hoon interfered with probe

Civic groups filed complaint citing abuse of authority, dereliction of duty

Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon [Yonhap]
Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon [Yonhap]

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Wide-Area Crime Investigation Unit has been assigned to investigate allegations that independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon suppressed a police probe into his daughter's fabricated credentials.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Friday it had assigned the complaint against Han to the unit. A separate complaint — targeting the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (now the Seoul Central District Public Prosecution Office) for allegedly failing to submit an international criminal justice cooperation request — will also be handled by the same unit.

The unit is scheduled to question the complainants Tuesday at 10 a.m.

Earlier, civic groups filed a complaint with the Korean National Police Agency's National Investigation Headquarters against Han and current and former prosecutors suspected of involvement in suppressing the investigation, on charges including abuse of authority and dereliction of duty.

The groups took issue with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit receiving a complaint in May 2022 regarding allegations that Han's daughter — whose father was then serving as justice minister — had fabricated her credentials, only for the unit to close the case without referral in December of the following year, citing insufficient grounds for charges.

The complainants also raised concerns that the investigating team at the time had asked the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office to file an international criminal justice cooperation request, but the request was never forwarded to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office or the Ministry of Justice, on the grounds that the matter was minor.

They called for a thorough reinvestigation, arguing that police had closed the case without adequately examining Han's daughter's volunteer service hours, the circumstances of her awards, and whether her academic papers had been ghostwritten.

Kim Jong-cheol, acting commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, said at a National Assembly audit of the agency by the Public Administration and Security Committee on Oct. 12 that he would "not rule out the possibility of a reinvestigation if new facts are confirmed."

Go Beom-seok, chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, also indicated at a recent press briefing that he would review the existing investigation findings and audit results, saying he understood that the Ministry of Justice was conducting an audit into the matter of the international judicial cooperation request that prosecutors had declined to pursue.


newday@heraldcorp.com