Han Dong-hoon Fails to Appear for Special Prosecutor's Inquiry

By Eun-mi. Won Posted : August 12, 2026, 14:48 Updated : August 12, 2026, 14:48

Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon did not attend a second inquiry by the special prosecutor's team regarding the ruling party-government meeting held immediately after the lifting of the state of emergency on August 12.

The special prosecutor attempted to summon Han at 10 a.m. on the 12th as a witness to discuss the justification for the emergency declaration, but he did not respond.

The special prosecutor stated, "He did not submit a reason for his absence," adding, "Considering the limited time left for the investigation, we are not considering a re-summons for him." The investigation period is set to conclude on the 23rd.

Previously, the special prosecutor's office had sent a notice through Han's office requesting his appearance as a witness related to the ruling party-government meeting.

On August 6, Han expressed on social media, "I have no intention of assisting the political investigation that the Lee Jae-myung administration is trying to conduct, which has kept me under a travel ban for months without reason during the election period and has never called me in until now, only to engage in showy public relations."

The special prosecutor suspects that a follow-up meeting took place at the Prime Minister's residence the day after the emergency declaration, where former Minister of Justice Park Seong-jae, former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, former Chief of Civil Affairs Kim Joo-hyun, and former Minister of Legislation Lee Wan-kyu discussed strategies to respond to the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk-yeol and allegations of insurrection.

On August 6, the special prosecutor also summoned former Minister of Government Policy Coordination Bang Gi-seon as a witness.




* This article has been translated by AI.

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