Ha Jung-woo of the Democratic Party of Korea and Park Min-sik of the People Power Party, who are running in the Busan Buk A by-election, mounted a joint attack on independent candidate Han Dong-hoon by raising the issue of former President Park Geun-hye's sentence demand and the party members' board controversy. In response, Han said regarding the sentence demand that he had only done his duty as a prosecutor, and he countered that the party board controversy was also false information. For just over an hour, the three candidates traded nonstop criticism and accusations in a bruising debate.
In the Busan Buk A by-election candidate debate hosted by Busan MBC on the afternoon of the 28th, Ha and Park went on the offensive against Han. Ha first pressed Han, saying that Han had said he bore no responsibility for Park's sentence length, then asked whether it could be seen that he had contributed significantly to determining the sentence.
Park also attacked Han over the sentence demand for former President Park during the initiative debate segment. Park said that Han had said in effect, Why pin on me what Yoon Suk-yeol did, and pointed out that on Feb. 27, the fact that Deputy Chief Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon appeared in court was widely reported. Park added that the Seoul Central District Court trial records also explicitly list Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon, and stressed that regardless of whether he read the closing argument himself, the responsibility lies with the prosecutor.
Han said, I do not deny that I was involved in the trial, but I only fulfilled my duty as a prosecutor. He added, I feel personally sorry toward the former president, and I am grateful that she met me during the last general election and offered encouragement.
The debate also saw clashes over the controversy involving Han's family and the party members' board. Ha asked Han whether the identity theft allegation was true, and if not, why he had not filed a complaint.
Han countered that he had filed a complaint over false information. He said the posts on the party members' board were op-eds and columns posted by his family that pointed out wrongful aspects involving President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife, and asked whether that was wrong. When Ha said he was asking about whether identities were stolen, Han dismissed it, saying that no such thing happened.
Park also kept up his offensive against Han over the party board controversy. Park said that even in the debate with Ha, the party board issue was raised, yet Han answered to the effect that there was no particular problem, and pointed out whether, as party leader, there was truly no issue when it was written by his family. Park added that the case caused a deep wound among conservative supporters.
Han shot back, Are you saying my family made the dog leash remark? and said, You should withdraw that claim. He added, The audit also confirmed it was fabricated, and pressed, Will you withdraw it or maintain it? Are you spreading false information on air?