Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok, targeting independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, who is focusing on raising the "Genencell lobbying allegations" against Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won, signaled a fact-finding probe and legal action over alleged leaks of information within the prosecution and evidence fabrication. Han countered that the claims were the "spreading of false information" and said he would respond with criminal action.
On the 9th in the morning at a supreme council meeting held in North Jeolla, Kim said, "Separate from the confirmation hearing for nominee Kim Seung-won, the issue of lawmaker Han Dong-hoon is a separate case," adding, "The final page of all illegal, bad practices of the political prosecution has appeared."
Kim went on to say, "We judge that the various claims Han Dong-hoon is currently raising are incidents that could not occur without a collaborator within the prosecution," adding, "If there is no collaborator, it can only be the spreading of lies." He was asserting that the allegations Han has recently raised about nominee Kim are either the work of an internal collaborator in the prosecution or falsehoods.
He added, "I believe it has reached a point where we have no choice but to thoroughly verify the suspicions related to the leak from the prosecution's cabinet and evidence fabrication, which were produced by lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, who has begun a coup de grâce by the political prosecution." Kim further said, "We will thoroughly verify the facts and, if there are leakers, move into a phase of taking legal action against all of them."
Kim also suggested changing the nickname "Joseon's top prosecutor," which had stuck to Han during his time as a prosecutor. He said, "I have a word because it seems Han cannot distinguish between praise and criticism," adding, "Joseon's top prosecutor makes one fixate on being 'Joseon's top.'"
He added, "If people call him 'top,' he might really think it is a compliment," and said, "Wouldn't 'Joseon's bad prosecutor' or 'Joseon's bad scissors' be more accurate?"
Han immediately pushed back after Kim's remarks. On Facebook, he said, "I will file criminal charges against Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok for spreading false information," adding, "I have never received anything even resembling materials from the prosecution, so I will hold him strictly accountable for baseless lies."
Han also said, "The same goes for people who tell brain-fantasy lies like Kim Min-seok going forward," adding, "Just because you muddy the waters does not make the Democratic Party 'oppa' poison-lobby facts disappear."