Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon and the Democratic Party are engaged in a heated exchange over allegations involving Kim Seung-won, the nominee for Minister of Justice, regarding solicitation for clinical trial approvals. Han has intensified his offensive by releasing additional text messages, labeling the situation as the 'Democratic Party Brothers Gate,' while the Democratic Party has countered by questioning the source of the information and the manner of its disclosure.
According to political sources on September 8, Han revealed text messages from a female broker, Yang, who mentioned Kim and other Democratic politicians in relation to the clinical trial approval allegations in October 2021.
Han characterized the situation as 'Democratic Party Brothers Gate,' raising the stakes in his accusations. On his Facebook page, he stated, "More Democratic brothers are coming out. The poison lobbying gate is the 'Democratic Party Brothers Gate.'"
In response, the Democratic Party criticized the source and method of Han's disclosures. Han Byung-do, the party's floor leader, stated during a morning meeting, "It is unacceptable to distort facts with materials that do not even disclose their source under the pretext of verification, and to use selectively edited recordings. This is typical political prosecution-style cabinet politics that only brings out information favorable to oneself."
Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok also criticized Han, calling him an "immature attention seeker." He added during an official YouTube appearance, "He will do anything to attract attention, even if it backfires on him." Fellow lawmaker Song Young-gil joined in, saying, "Stop acting like a private investigator and engage in proper politics. It seems like he is struggling to establish his presence without shedding his special prosecutor identity."
In response, Han retorted, "Kim Min-seok, Song Young-gil, Han Byung-do, and other Democratic brothers, keep pushing. Is there nothing else to say besides personal attacks? Will you still push for Kim Seung-won? This is what Democratic Party-style drum politics looks like," he posted on Facebook. Additionally, Han continued to criticize lawmakers Park Joo-min and Park Ji-won on his social media.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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