Han Dong-hoon faces allegations of blocking investigation into daughter

Members of the Democratic Party of Korea are calling for an investigation into allegations of abuse of power involving Han Dong-hoon, a former Minister of Justice and current independent lawmaker. The controversy centers on an investigation into his daughter’s alleged use of falsified credentials.

During a parliamentary audit, lawmakers revealed that in November 2022, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office reportedly failed to forward a request for international judicial cooperation from the police to the Ministry of Justice. Lawmakers argue that this failure to process the request effectively halted the investigation into Han’s daughter.

Democratic Party representatives have demanded that Han disclose whether he filed a conflict of interest report or requested recusal during his tenure as Minister of Justice. They suggest the prosecution may have blocked the request to prevent Han from facing conflict-of-interest issues, or potentially acted under his direct orders. The Ministry of Justice has stated it will investigate the truth of these claims during the audit.