- Expelling Han Dong-hoon? There are opinions that holding his seat is improper, but
- Difficult right now... Proper to decide after watching the investigation
- Many in PPP would agree... Wouldn't Jang agree to the expulsion?
- Key issue in Kim Seung-won's hearing? Opportunity to clarify allegations raised by Han Dong-hoon
- Apologies for failure to adopt witnesses
…
Concerns over politicization and public humiliation
- 'Preferential lobbying of MFDS' already settled with acquittal and suspended indictment
- Filing complaint against Han Dong-hoon? Suspicions he received internal reports during his tenure as minister
- Edited transcripts likely supplementary materials for reporting to the minister
- No leak route other than the prosecution... Clear leakage of official secrets
- New drug administered to 93 patients? No major issues during clinical trials
- Kim Seung-won's stance: Will not direct affairs regarding dismissal of indictments
- Even without dismissing indictments, fabricated investigations under Yoon administration must be uncovered
- Reviewing dissolution of PPP? A standard theoretical answer... Should not be overinterpreted
- Additional vetting of Kim Ji-yong reflects concerns among some ruling party members over 'opposition to prosecution reform'
■ Broadcast: SBS Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show (FM 103.5 MHz 7:00 – 9:00)
■ Date: Tuesday, September 15, 2026
■ Host: Attorney Kim Tae-hyun
■ Guest: Rep. Kim Dong-ah, Democratic Party of Korea (Member of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee)
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Today marks the confirmation hearing for Minister of Justice nominee Kim Seung-won. Tensions between the ruling and opposition parties are expected to reach their peak. Joining us now is Representative Kim Dong-ah of the Democratic Party of Korea, who serves on the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee. Hello, Representative.
[Kim Dong-ah]: Good to be here. I'm Kim Dong-ah.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Representative, this is a very important confirmation hearing. Have you prepared a lot?
[Kim Dong-ah]: I have prepared thoroughly and worked hard. I am preparing to show the public today that the suspicions surrounding nominee Kim Seung-won are completely resolved.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: What do you consider the most crucial point in today's confirmation hearing?
[Kim Dong-ah]: Ultimately, I believe it is necessary to give the nominee ample opportunity to explain the allegations raised by Representative Han Dong-hoon regarding lobbying at the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. In my personal view, an acquittal has already been handed down, and while a suspension of indictment was issued, it fully reflected the essence of clearing him of charges. So while I feel it is regrettable to spend precious time on this, given the high level of media interest, I think the nominee's explanation on that matter will be needed.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: I see.
[Kim Dong-ah]: On the other hand, regarding the activities of his wife and child in a cooperative related to education for people with disabilities, the cooperative's head and member families held a tearful press conference yesterday, so I don't think that will become a major point of contention.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: However, since this confirmation hearing will proceed without any witnesses or testifiers, there seems to be criticism from the media and the opposition. What are your thoughts on that, although the decision has already been made?
[Kim Dong-ah]: In fact, I find it regrettable and apologize for the fact that witnesses were not adopted. However, the low adoption of witnesses during confirmation hearings was also the case during the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. Because members of the confirmation committee lack investigative or inquiry powers, even if we summon and question witnesses, it only turns into a political controversy. We cannot guarantee the credibility of their statements, and the situation inevitably leads to simply humiliating them, which is why we could not reach an agreement. In particular, most of the witnesses requested by the People Power Party are individuals currently on trial, such as a certain Mr. Kang or Mr. Yang. Since they are already on trial, it is impossible to hear proper testimony from them anyway. That was our assessment.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Naturally, the People Power Party is demanding that the nomination be withdrawn. For now, the allegations raised by the People Power Party include the solicitation allegations regarding the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the cooperative you mentioned earlier, as well as false address registration and drunk driving.
[Kim Dong-ah]: Yes.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: So while these suspicions exist, your assessment is that if they are clarified today, there will be no issue with him serving as Minister of Justice, right?
[Kim Dong-ah]: It is not just that there will be no problem once clarified today; the claims of preferential lobbying at the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety have already resulted in an acquittal. Furthermore, while an indictment was suspended, that is also a non-indictment disposition. Looking at the reasoning for the suspended indictment, it clearly states that solicitation itself cannot be seen as having taken place, that his actions can be viewed as performing his duties as a lawmaker, and that no quid pro quo was established.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
[Kim Dong-ah]: Based on established facts that have already emerged through an acquittal and a suspended indictment, parts of the investigative records are now being leaked. When it comes to such matters, I don't even think there is any suspicion left to speak of.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: An issue that has already been settled?
[Kim Dong-ah]: It is an issue that has already been settled, but independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon—though I do not know how he leaked and possessed those investigative materials—is merely digging them up to cause an uproar. Regarding the work at the cooperative for people with disabilities, didn't the members of that cooperative appeal with tears, asking people to stop harassing them? I believe that issue has already been fully resolved as well.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
[Kim Dong-ah]: As for drunk driving, it was clearly wrong and improper in the eyes of the general public, but he received a fine of 700,000 won, which is, in a sense, not that severe a punishment. These matters have already been fully disclosed through the media, so it would be best to view this as an opportunity to explain and clarify them once more.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Understood. Regarding the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety matter mentioned earlier, you personally filed a complaint against Representative Han Dong-hoon on charges of leaking investigative materials.
[Kim Dong-ah]: Yes.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: I believe you were questioned by police on Sunday, right?
[Kim Dong-ah]: Yes, I went there in person.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Representative, what did the police ask? Trade secrets aside.
[Kim Dong-ah]: They asked about the overall content. In particular, regarding the prosecution plan, it seems the police had already conducted a significant amount of investigation. So the police were well aware of why the prosecution plan is an internal prosecution document, and we explained a lot about what we are arguing. Going a step further, regarding the transcripts, Representative Han Dong-hoon claims he received them from a third party, but didn't a certain Mr. Cho recently state that he never gave such things to Han Dong-hoon and didn't even have them himself? Furthermore, the transcripts are materials seized during the prosecution's search and seizure, so no one could obtain them other than the parties involved—Mr. Kang or Mr. Yang—and their legal defense counsel. Under circumstances where there is no indication whatsoever that they provided them to Representative Han Dong-hoon, we suspect he received them either from the prosecution or through internal reports when he was serving as justice minister. I requested that a proper investigation be carried out on that aspect as well.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: So you are suspecting that when he was Minister of Justice, since this was a major case, he received reports on it, held onto those materials, and is now releasing them like this?
[Kim Dong-ah]: Another circumstance that supports such suspicion is that, as you may well know, the transcripts released by Representative Han Dong-hoon are edited. In those edits, portions favorable to Representative Kim Seung-won were removed, and in some transcripts, seemingly irrelevant parts were cut out. Would Representative Han Dong-hoon really have edited the transcripts himself? If not, isn't it typical for prosecutors to compile such transcripts as supplementary attachments when reporting on an investigation? Representative Han Dong-hoon received those parts and simply—
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Like materials for reporting to the minister?
[Kim Dong-ah]: It is naturally required to be reported for the minister's review because it was an investigation into a sitting lawmaker. He is now releasing those reports one by one. But recently, he hasn't been able to release anything new, right? Looking at that, rather than receiving the investigative records in their entirety, didn't he receive reports on an edited collection of key evidence suggesting guilt, and is now releasing those parts? From his perspective, while overseeing the investigation as Minister of Justice at the time, he may have received such reports and thought Representative Kim Seung-won was guilty, leading him into the solitary delusion that the subsequent suspended indictment was somehow improper.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Then the point you suspect is that, unlike what some say—that he received them from current prosecutors or from prosecutors who investigated the case back then, most of whom have reportedly retired—
[Kim Dong-ah]: Yes.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: You believe he didn't receive them from those individuals recently, but held onto what he received during his time as minister, opened his proverbial cabinet, and is now releasing them one by one?
[Kim Dong-ah]: I think it is a mix of both.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: A mix of both?
[Kim Dong-ah]: I think he may have received the transcripts, factual summaries, and organized materials during his time as minister. However, in the case of the prosecution plan, the date of creation is August 2024, which is after he stepped down as minister.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: The date is indeed so.
[Kim Dong-ah]: In that case, he might have received it recently. But at that time, former Minister Han was the leader of the People Power Party, and with the presidential office, former President Yoon Suk Yeol, and Han Dong-hoon all operating while the prosecutorial apparatus was actively running, I believe it is entirely possible he received it to use politically while serving as party leader as a former justice minister. I think he collected such materials and is now disclosing them one by one.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Then under what charges did you file the complaint, Representative?
[Kim Dong-ah]: First of all, it clearly constitutes leaking official secrets. Especially in the case of the prosecution plan, even if Representative Han Dong-hoon did not receive it directly, if the prosecution disclosed it to a third party—meaning they disclosed it to someone and that person tipped off Han Dong-hoon—judicial precedents clearly establish that transferring it to a third party constitutes leaking official secrets. We found this when looking into precedents while handling this case.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Is that so?
[Kim Dong-ah]: It clearly constitutes leaking official secrets. Furthermore, regarding Han's disclosure of the materials: if he disclosed what he received during his tenure as Minister of Justice, it constitutes leaking official secrets on his part; if he received it from a third party and disclosed it, we view it as a violation of the Personal Information Protection Act. We also found such established precedents and submitted them to the police.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: So you are arguing that police should conduct a compulsory investigation, such as a search and seizure, as soon as possible?
[Kim Dong-ah]: Of course. Especially since Representative Han Dong-hoon is an expert in investigations, he knows how to conceal evidence or hide it within bounds that do not constitute a crime. Didn't he conceal evidence in the past by setting a 20-digit phone password? I requested that a compulsory investigation be conducted swiftly to prevent such an occurrence.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: However, Representative Han Dong-hoon appears to be saying that there are no legal issues, that he never received anything remotely similar from the prosecution, and that he is confident regarding the legal aspects.
[Kim Dong-ah]: Yet right after those words, he also remarked that even if he had received it from the prosecution, there would be no problem with it.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
[Kim Dong-ah]: What is abundantly clear is that there is no channel through which a prosecution plan could be leaked other than the prosecution. The Vice Minister of Justice confirmed this himself, and many prosecutors give the exact same answer when asked. In a situation where he cannot provide any proper explanation about this, giving such an answer seems to be an outright lie.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: One more thing. Today, Representative Son Sol of the Progressive Party is also on the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. She reportedly requested the accounting report of Representative Han Dong-hoon's supporters' association from the National Election Commission, and the NEC provided it. Have you heard why this is needed for nominee Kim Seung-won's hearing?
[Kim Dong-ah]: I have not heard anything about that. However, I assume it was done as part of parliamentary activity in response to Representative Han Dong-hoon raising such groundless allegations.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Understood. And as we pointed out earlier on News One Shot, Genencell's COVID-19 treatment was actually administered to 93 patients. Because of this, the opposition points out whether requesting expedited processing from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety at the request of an acquaintance on a matter that could threaten the public's right to life can truly be considered a public interest petition.
[Kim Dong-ah]: The nominee lacked the professional knowledge to understand the process, especially regarding what risks a new drug might carry, nor was he asking the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to approve it. It was a request to proceed according to normal procedures, not an appeal to bypass verification without proper scrutiny.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
[Kim Dong-ah]: Also, regarding this matter, the Minister of Food and Drug Safety was indicted alongside others but was already cleared of charges. While I do not know the exact details that emerged regarding the facts, in the minister's response at the National Assembly yesterday, they stated that no major problems arose from this drug during the clinical trials. Therefore, I believe it is unreasonable to specifically tie this suspicion to Representative Kim Seung-won.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Another question comes to mind. You hold a clear stance that Representative Han Dong-hoon should be legally punished, which is why you filed the complaint.
[Kim Dong-ah]: Yes.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Setting legal actions aside, politically, looking at what Party Leader Kim Min-seok is saying, he mentions expulsion or revising the National Assembly Act to suspend qualifications. Do you believe that beyond criminal punishment, political steps such as expulsion or suspension of qualifications should be pursued?
[Kim Dong-ah]: Regarding his current conduct—raising virtually groundless allegations using investigative records illegally leaked from inside the prosecution—there seems to be doubt over whether it is proper for him to maintain his seat as a member of the National Assembly.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
[Kim Dong-ah]: However, I think immediate expulsion would be difficult right now, as it requires the consent of two-thirds of the National Assembly members. But since a complaint has already been filed and an investigation is underway, I think expulsion or similar measures could be pursued through a decision by the National Assembly's Special Committee on Ethics after observing that process. That said, even if an expulsion vote were held now, I suspect many in the People Power Party might actually agree to it.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Agreement from the People Power Party?
[Kim Dong-ah]: Wouldn't Leader Jang Dong-hyeok tell them to agree? If they don't, he would likely refer them to their ethics committee again and discipline them for violating the party line.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Leader Jang Dong-hyeok telling them to clean house while they're at it, so to speak.
[Kim Dong-ah]: Well, the ruling and opposition parties might find common ground on that, but I also think pushing it too far in that manner isn't appropriate. I believe it is right to make a decision at that point after watching the investigation process unfold.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Understood. From the ruling party's perspective, it is only natural to take the position that nominee Kim Seung-won must become Minister of Justice at all costs. But from the opposition's perspective, pushing for someone with such flaws to become Minister of Justice—since nominee Kim Seung-won served as head of Gongchwimo (a group of lawmakers pushing for the dismissal of indictments and a parliamentary investigation into cases involving President Lee Jae-myung)—leads them to question whether this is buildup for the president to have the indictments dismissed. What is your response to that criticism?
[Kim Dong-ah]: Regarding the dismissal of indictments, nominee Kim Seung-won has stated a firm and clear position that he will not exercise such investigative command, so I believe it is unreasonable to view his appointment as an effort to dismiss the indictments.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
[Kim Dong-ah]: However, we believe it is the responsibility of our Lee Jae-myung administration to clearly and unequivocally uncover the fabricated and forced investigations that took place under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration and during Han Dong-hoon's tenure as justice minister. Some in the public or the opposing camp ask why we are dredging up the past, but without finding the truth and resolving these suspicions, the prosecution could once again abuse its investigative powers in the future after seizing political power to suppress the opposition or its political rivals. This is truly undesirable for the democracy of the Republic of Korea, which is why I believe nominee Kim Seung-won has a historical duty to uncover fabricated or flawed investigations, even if the opposition objects.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Understood. Also, regarding the dissolution of the People Power Party, the opposition is strongly pushing back after nominee Kim Seung-won stated that he would review whether filing a petition is possible after taking office as minister. In response to a query from Representative Kim Yong-min, he said, "I will closely examine the intent of the Constitutional Court's decision and related cases to review whether the requirements for party dissolution are met." From the opposition's standpoint, saying he will review it rather than refusing to do so opens the door, sparking outrage. How should this be understood?
[Kim Dong-ah]: Before coming to this interview today, I asked the nominee's hearing preparation team about this. When I asked with what intent that statement was made, they replied that it was sent at the working level simply to mean that they would review it if requirements are met, and that it was merely a standard theoretical answer. They also expressed regret that it has been interpreted so excessively. I think it is best to leave it at that.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: So you mean the opposition shouldn't be jumping at shadows, like someone startled by a turtle being scared of a cauldron lid. Right?
[Kim Dong-ah]: Yes.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: It seems your stance is that the opposition is overreacting. Understood. And Representative, lastly, let me ask one question unrelated to the hearing. Regarding Kim Ji-yong, the head of the Major Crimes Investigation Office—the Minister of the Interior and Safety is a veteran lawmaker from the ruling party.
[Kim Dong-ah]: Yes.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: The Minister of the Interior and Safety must have conducted thorough vetting, and when he was recommended and appointed by the president, all vetting should have been completed. Yet now it is said the president has ordered additional vetting. I'm curious as to what caused this.
[Kim Dong-ah]: Even if thorough vetting regarding personal misconduct has already taken place, some lawmakers in our ruling party have raised concerns that he might oppose certain aspects of prosecution reform. I understood this as a request for further vetting regarding the nominee's stance and how he intends to carry out his duties as head of the Major Crimes Investigation Office in the future. In response, the nominee stated that he fully agrees with prosecution reform, and explained that his past opposition to the adjustment of investigative powers was due to concerns regarding crime victims and similar issues, rather than protecting prosecutorial power itself. As such, I believe he is providing a sufficient explanation, and we need to watch the vetting process unfold a bit further going forward.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Understood. We'll wrap up here today. We have been speaking with Representative Kim Dong-ah of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee. Thank you, Representative.
[Kim Dong-ah]: Thank you.
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