Seoul: Prime Minister Han Seong-sook announced that the government will investigate the potential illegality surrounding the release of what appear to be investigative records related to a lobbying scandal. This announcement follows the actions of a prosecutor-turned-lawmaker who disclosed these records, which involve the nominee for the position of justice minister.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Prime Minister Han addressed the issue during a parliamentary interpellation session. She emphasized the necessity of determining how the records were leaked and whether such an action was illegal. Han underscored the seriousness of the situation, noting that if classified investigation records were released without proper authorization, it would represent a "very grave" case.
The lawmaker in question, Rep. Han Dong-hoon, has been regularly publicizing phone conversation transcripts and other records since the nomination of Rep. Kim Seung-won for justice minister. Han alleges that Kim improperly influenced the food and drug safety ministry's approval of a COVID-19 treatment in 2021.
Rep. Han Dong-hoon, who has a history as a justice minister under the ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol, later became the head of the main opposition People Power Party. He was expelled from the party due to an internal conflict and subsequently elected as an independent to the National Assembly during the parliamentary by-election in June. Han claims his information sources are whistleblowers.