Han Dong-hoon Labels It the 'Oppa Poison Lobby,' Hints at Further Revelations: "Appoint Me as Confirmation Committee Member for Kim Seung-won"

Blocking the Appointment of the First Convicted Felon as Minister of Justice Since the Provisional Government

Han Dong-hoon, an independent member of the National Assembly, responded to the request for his attendance as a witness at the confirmation hearing for Kim Seung-won, the nominee for Minister of Justice, by saying, "Instead of calling me as a witness, appoint me as a member of the confirmation committee." He thus expressed his intention to directly scrutinize Kim's qualifications as a public official and the allegations of lobbying involving the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety at the confirmation hearing. He also demanded an independent counsel investigation and hinted at additional revelations.

Han Dong-hoon, an independent member of the National Assembly, is making remarks regarding Kim Seung-won, the nominee for Minister of Justice, at the Rodin Hall of the National Assembly on September 7, 2026. Photo by Yoon Dongju

On September 7, speaking with reporters in front of the plenary chamber of the National Assembly, Han stated, regarding the Democratic Party of Korea's request for his attendance as a witness at Kim's confirmation hearing, "Since the principal parties want it, I ask Speaker Cho Jung-sik to approve me as a member of the confirmation committee for Kim Seung-won."

He added, "It doesn't seem likely that the confirmation hearing will be held, but if it is, I want to verify Kim's qualifications as a public official and help prevent, for the first time since the establishment of the Provisional Government, a convicted individual from becoming Minister of Justice," stressing, "I am prepared to do my part in the process."

Han characterized the allegations of lobbying related to the development of new drugs by Kim as the "Oppa Poison Lobby" and continued his attack. Regarding the materials he disclosed, he said, "Nothing has been added or omitted," and asserted, "I will expose to the public in detail why this cartel is protecting the lobbying allegations."

He suggested the possibility of disclosing further allegations. When asked if there had been any additional tips, Han replied, "I still have a lot to say." In response to a question regarding the sources of his information, he said, "If a tip is credible, fulfills the public's right to know, and there's enough public interest to prevent such an appointment, I have a duty as a lawmaker to disclose it," adding, "I will protect whistleblowers."

Han also called for an independent counsel investigation into the allegations. He stated, "Shouldn't a special prosecutor investigate this? That's exactly what special prosecutors are for."

Han raised questions regarding the process by which Kim's case was given a deferred indictment. "In the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office's internal document that I disclosed, it clearly states that a sentence of eight months in prison was to be sought for Kim," Han said. "But someone intervened to overturn this. In the meantime, through martial law and impeachment, the world shifted to be centered around the Democratic Party," he argued.

Meanwhile, Kim Seung-won's camp denied the allegations of external pressure, stressing that the prosecution's decision clearly stated that "there was no improper solicitation."

Kim stated, "At the time of the deferred indictment, the Yoon Suk-yeol administration was in place, and I was only a first-term Democratic Party lawmaker. How could I have influenced the prosecution to secure a deferred indictment?" He then added, "I will request both Han Dong-hoon and the prosecutor who made the decision at that time as witnesses at the confirmation hearing."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.