Acting Justice Minister Lee Jin-soo stated that an investigation is necessary regarding the leak of prosecutorial investigation records presented by independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, which raised suspicions about Kim Seung-won, the candidate for Minister of Justice.
On September 9, during a parliamentary session in Yeouido, Seoul, Lee responded to a question from Democratic Party lawmaker Jeon Yong-ki about the circumstances surrounding Han's disclosure of a prosecution plan document from the Seoul Western District Prosecutor's Office, saying, "If the investigation records were leaked from within the prosecution, it is a crime."
Lee added, "The document appears to be an informal report that has not been compiled as part of the investigation and evidence records," emphasizing that such materials should not be leaked externally.
He further stated, "Providing investigation materials to the outside constitutes a breach of official secrets or a violation of the Personal Information Protection Act, which can lead to criminal penalties."
Regarding the possibility of internal leaks from the investigation team, he noted, "We cannot rule out the possibility," and pointed out that even if someone is retired, taking internal investigation-related materials out is illegal.
Lee criticized the situation, saying, "The sense of humiliation felt by current prosecution members due to this illegal leak is significant," and added that it is a major reason for the entire prosecution organization facing criticism from the public.
In response to Jeon's call for the Ministry of Justice to conduct an internal investigation and refer the matter for prosecution, Lee stated, "The circumstances of the leak must be clearly established through a thorough investigation," and mentioned that he would first look into what can be confirmed at the current level within the Ministry of Justice.
Recently, Han has been continuously raising allegations related to Kim, aiming to undermine his candidacy for Minister of Justice. The ruling Democratic Party believes that Han, a former prosecutor, is misusing illegally leaked confidential prosecutorial investigation materials to attack Kim.
In response, Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Dong-ah filed a complaint with the police on September 7 against Han and the person who provided him with information, accusing them of breaching official secrets.
Conversely, Han has completely denied the allegations. Speaking to reporters at the National Assembly, he stated, "I have not received any cooperation or materials from the prosecution." He criticized the Democratic Party, saying, "Attacking by questioning the source is a typical smear campaign aimed at exposing the identity of a whistleblower."
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Han Seung-sook also stated that she would thoroughly verify the circumstances and legality of the leak of the publicly disclosed investigation materials related to Kim's allegations.
During the same parliamentary session, when Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Hae-sik pointed out the need for an investigation into the source of the leaked investigation materials, Han responded, "I will instruct relevant agencies to closely verify the circumstances of the leak, its legality, and the facts. If confidential investigation materials were leaked without proper procedures and used for specific purposes, it would be a very serious matter."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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