Han Dong-hoon Counterattacks DP Over Kim Seung-won: 'Substantial Truth to Petition'

▲ Independent Lawmaker Han Dong-hoon

Faced with a massive counteroffensive from the Democratic Party following the withdrawal of former Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won—whose downfall he spearheaded—independent Lawmaker Han Dong-hoon launched a counterattack centering on a petition cited as the background behind Kim's resignation.

Earlier, during his resignation press conference yesterday, former nominee Kim targeted Lawmaker Han, who led the offensive against him through the disclosure of transcripts, emphasizing, "I will uncover the full truth behind the illegal leakage of investigative secrets and the doctoring of records to the end." The Democratic Party also defined Lawmaker Han's method of exposure as a "crime" and vowed to bring him to court.

In response, Lawmaker Han met with reporters at the National Assembly today, stating, "Isn't it important to verify the truth rather than just the fact that a petition was received?" He claimed, "I have already confirmed that a significant portion of that content is true."

He continued, "There was sexual harassment, an attempt to cover it up, and other Democratic Party lawmakers besides Kim Seung-won were present at the scene. Lawmakers who have kept their mouths shut deserve to resign from their positions as lawmakers." He urged, "Did the petition go to the party leader before it went to the Blue House? There was reckless drunk driving and tyrannical verbal abuse. Then, Democratic Party lawmakers, including Leader Kim Min-seok, must clarify when they received this tip."

He also emphasized, "This is a matter concerning the very existence of the Democratic Party."

However, when asked whether he had directly contacted the person who drafted the petition, he replied, "I still believe that public interest whistleblowers must be protected. To the extent possible, we must also prevent victims from suffering further harm." He added, "If there were incorrect parts, former nominee Kim and the Blue House would not have taken such a stance."

Immediately after former nominee Kim's withdrawal yesterday, Lawmaker Han also requested a press conference at the National Assembly, declaring, "This is a victory for the people. I will move forward looking only at the people."

Over the past two days, Lawmaker Han also escalated his offensive via Facebook, posting remarks such as, "Raging in groups to take revenge because someone touched their own organization's lackeys—what is that if not a gang?" and calling them the "New Millennium NHK Faction gangsters."

He also criticized them by saying, "Go ahead and try your best with that revenge. If you were going to do that, you should have pushed Kim Seung-won through, but you didn't have the guts and withdrew him instead. It is truly pathetic to see the Democratic Party putting up a bluff and shouting, 'We haven't lost!'" He added, "Does the Democratic Party not even have an ethics committee? You aren't even pretending to refer Kim Seung-won—who is tied to the oppa poison lobbying, sexual harassment, and drunk driving tyranny—to the ethics committee."

(Photo: Yonhap News)

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