# South Korean political controversy and surveillance claims

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/south-korean-political-controversy-and-surveillance-claims
> Updated: 2026-09-11T01:37:03.000Z. Sources: 16. Developments: 2.

Political tensions in South Korea have escalated following the emergence of a notebook belonging to Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok. The notebook, which contained names of potential Seoul mayoral candidates and notes regarding political opponents, led the ruling People Power Party to accuse Kim of ‘judicial intimidation’. Kim defended the contents, stating the names were merely notes of individuals discussed in political circles and that he was analyzing potential ‘winning card’ candidates rather than declaring his own candidacy.

Concurrently, lawmaker Han Dong-hoon has raised allegations of political surveillance after an official from the Prime Minister’s Office reportedly posed as a civilian during a press conference. While Prime Minister Han Seong-sook expressed regret over the official’s conduct, the Prime Minister’s Office described the interaction as spontaneous. Additionally, Han has criticized police investigations into a complaint filed against him by Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Dong-ah, alleging that the police are acting as the ‘teeth’ of the Democratic Party.

## Claims

- An official from the Prime Minister's Office posed as a civilian during Han Dong-hoon's press conference. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Han Dong-hoon criticized the police for rapidly investigating a political complaint filed against him. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Democratic Party Rep. Kim Dong-ah filed a complaint against Han Dong-hoon for alleged leakage of official secrets. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Kim Min-seok's notebook contained names such as 'Hun-sik', 'Won-sik', and 'Cheong-rae' under the heading 'Seoul Mayor Candidates'. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The People Power Party accused Kim Min-seok of intimidating the judiciary by predetermining election outcomes. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Prime Minister Han Seong-sook expressed regret regarding the official's inappropriate conduct. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-09-11: South Korean political tensions rise over lawmaker notes and surveillance claims

South Korean political friction intensifies as parties clash over Kim Min-seok's mayoral candidate notes, and Han Dong-hoon alleges political surveillance and biased police investigations.

9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-korean-prime-ministers-office-official-accused-of-impersonating-citizen

### 2026-09-09: Kim Min-seok clarifies notebook containing Seoul mayoral candidate list

Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok clarified that his notebook containing Seoul mayoral candidate names and notes on political opponents was merely a personal analysis of potential winning candidates.

12 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/kim-min-seok-faces-scrutiny-over-mayoral-candidate-notes-and-university-policy

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Cite as: South Korean political controversy and surveillance claims. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/south-korean-political-controversy-and-surveillance-claims