Han Dong-hoon Complaint Case Over 'Alleged Cover-Up of Probe into His Daughter' Transferred to Seoul Police

Whether to transfer the SCIA case: "No decision yet"

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency will investigate a complaint related to allegations that independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon interfered with an investigation.

Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. Yonhap News.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Investigation Division said on October 16 that a complaint filed with the National Police Agency over allegations that an investigation into claims of Han's daughter's "fraudulent credentials" was covered up while he was serving as justice minister had been transferred to the Seoul agency.

On October 14, four civic groups, including the Institute for a People’s Livelihood Economy and Seoul Voice, filed complaints with the National Police Agency's National Office of Investigation and the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA) against Han and prosecutors suspected of involvement in covering up the investigation, on charges of abuse of authority and dereliction of duty.

Police will carefully review the complaint and assign the case to an investigative department. However, a Seoul agency official said that no decision had yet been made on whether to transfer the identical case filed with the SCIA.

According to the complaint, in November 2022, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Anti-Corruption and Public Crimes Investigation Unit asked the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office for international legal assistance to obtain materials located in the United States in connection with allegations that Han's daughter had violated the Copyright Act. However, the prosecutors' office did not forward the request to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office or the Ministry of Justice, citing insufficient justification for the need for assistance and a low likelihood that the U.S. side would comply.

Police then continued the investigation without making an additional request for international assistance or applying for a search warrant. In December 2023, they decided not to refer any of the 11 allegations involving Han's family to prosecutors.

The civic groups say it is necessary to determine why prosecutors did not forward the police request for international assistance to higher-level agencies and whether Han, who was justice minister at the time, was involved. However, it has not been established that Han was directly involved in the decision.

On October 12, acting National Police Agency Commissioner Kim Jong-cheol told a National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee audit of the agency that "I think we should have made greater efforts to establish the substantive truth." He also said police would consider reopening the investigation if new facts emerge.

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