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한동훈, 김승원 신약 로비 의혹 폭로 및 사적 대화 공개
최보식의언론
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On the 4th, Kim Seung-won’s side explained the “three-person selfie” (photo above), saying, “Around February 2022, at a private gathering open to others, he merely happened to run into Judge Jeong and Ms. Yang by chance, and afterward neither met nor contacted them.” Han Dong-hoon immediately struck back: “Another lie.”
The “three-person selfie,” showing Kim Seung-won together with bar owner Ms. Yang and Judge Jeong of the Seoul Western District Court, has stirred all sorts of speculation among the public because of its powerful visual impact.
On social media, Han said mockingly, “Is it true that nominee Kim Seung-won ‘happened to run into’ Yang Su-jin around February 2022? It certainly doesn’t look as though Kim Seung-won happened to run into Yang Su-jin by chance.”
He then said, “Since Kim Seung-won is shamelessly lying, I’m making this public,” and released in full the contents of a phone conversation between Kim Seung-won and Yang Su-jin from that day.
Below is the full transcript released by Rep. Han.
Kim Seung-won: Hey, little sister.
Yang Su-jin: Oppa.
Kim: How have you been? Oh, my. Huh?
Yang: Yeah, exactly.
Kim: I miss you so much that tears are coming to my eyes.
Yang: What should I do? Should I come running over right now?
Kim: I’d be grateful.
Yang: I’ll come right now. Where are you? (Laughs)
Kim: Yeouido. I’m in Yeouido.
Yang: Oh, I’m in Hanam, so it’ll take me an hour to get there. Is that still okay?
Kim: Of course, of course.
Yang: Then I’ll leave right now, so send me the address.
Kim: The person who’s here with us... President Yang?
Yang: That’s why I’m coming. I’ll come. But it’ll take an hour.
Kim: Really?
Yang: I’m in Hanam, so it takes an hour to get to Yeouido.
Kim: Hold on... Ah, it’s also the season for judicial personnel appointments and all.
Yang: Ah, is that too long?
Kim: I’ll wait here.
Yang: Oh, is that okay? All right, then.
Kim: Thanks.
Yang: Yes.
Kim: It would be a shame if we could only see each other for 20 or 30 minutes.
Yang: It won’t be a shame, it won’t be a shame, it won’t be a shame. Anyway, I’m on my way with a whole bunch of stuff, so just stay there.
Kim: Okay, okay. I’ll stay.
Yang: Yeah.
“The moment the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approves it, they can make hundreds of billions of won, right?”
Yang Su-jin: The one who gets the professor’s approval and licensing issues resolved is Seung-won oppa. Seung-won oppa talked to the head of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and today he talked about it again and asked, “Should I push the Ministry of Health and Welfare too?” He always tells me, “Su-jin, you should be the antenna. Since the political donation limit is only 5 million won, talk about whatever will help you succeed. You have to do well. Everything moves through you.” He also said that if there’s anything I need from Byeong-jo hyung, he’ll arrange a meeting, and that I should make good use of Byeong-jo hyung because he has a high-ranking position now. This oppa openly meets people where others can see him. Sometimes at Dukkupsam, and today at Tap Public, that craft-beer place...
Kang Se-jin: Yeah, right.
The previous day, Han had also posted on Facebook the contents of another conversation between nominee Kim Seung-won and alleged broker Yang Su-jin.
Yang Su-jin: Oppa, Professor Kang Se-chan is now unofficially entering Phase 3 for COVID. The professor says the data came out extremely well and the only issue is the protocol. What I want to tell you is that you have an election coming up. Our professor is the largest shareholder of Genencell. Now that company is going to become a COVID company. A major investment company has come on board. Monetizing this could also be useful when your election comes around next year. He is also being cautious about meeting through channels. He’s someone who will soon become the head of a listed company, someone who will have easy access to funds, someone who could be a source of strength for you. He could be good for you, and you could be good for each other.
Kim Seung-won: Then shall we meet right after Chuseok? I’ll send you a date.
Yang Su-jin: Oppa, this is about the professor I mentioned before. It’s currently before the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety regarding a COVID treatment. There has also been a change in the person in charge, and the result was originally supposed to come out on either the 12th or the 8th, but apparently it’s being delayed. The way I see it, the framework is already all in place. So it would be really good if you could help with this, because they’ve already secured 30 billion won in investment. The money is also scheduled to come in on October 15. Option one is that I’d like to meet you sometime this week or next week if you have time. Option two is that I was thinking you could look into this Genencell matter at the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
Kim Seung-won: The moment the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approves it, they can make hundreds of billions of won, right? That’s why the lobbying is so intense. I need to hear the explanation, so to save time, could you send me the materials by email? Then let’s meet. I’m a bit busy because the National Assembly audit is underway, but we can meet in Seoul.
Many people have found it deeply satisfying to watch Han Dong-hoon corner Kim Seung-won, President Lee Jae-myung’s nominee for justice minister. People barely notice the other People Power Party lawmakers; Han’s performance alone stands out.
And yet, what leaves me uneasy is Han Dong-hoon’s disclosures based on prosecutorial investigative materials.
The investigation into the alleged “new-drug lobbying” involving nominee Kim Seung-won began while Han Dong-hoon was serving as justice minister. Before the investigation was completed, Han was tapped to head the PPP’s emergency leadership committee. However, there were figures regarded as belonging to the “Han Dong-hoon line” within the leadership of the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office that ultimately decided to close the case against Kim Seung-won with a suspended indictment. The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office may also have offered a politically informed opinion. It was during the turmoil of martial law and impeachment, but it was nevertheless the prosecution under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. Han is now bringing the material back out and “exposing” it.
The problem is that the “phone conversations” between Kim Seung-won and Ms. Yang, and between Kang Se-chan and Ms. Yang, which Han is now disclosing, appear to have been obtained during the prosecution’s investigation.
It is unlikely that prosecutors wiretapped their conversations. More likely, broker Yang recorded her calls with Kim Seung-won and Kang Se-chan whenever she spoke with them. Prosecutors would then have obtained these recordings from Yang’s mobile phone.
There is a very strong possibility that someone inside the prosecution who investigated the case at the time provided these recordings to Rep. Han. Otherwise, it is difficult to explain how private conversations from years ago could emerge in this way. It raises suspicions that people within the prosecution are secretly communicating with Han.
Han Dong-hoon has remained silent about the source of the material.
Everyone may cheer Han’s attacks on Kim Seung-won’s inappropriate conduct, but they are overlooking what lies behind these disclosures. Is there really no legal problem with publicly releasing, without filtering, private conversations obtained in such a questionable manner? Does pursuing a “political objective” mean that intrusion into the parties’ privacy and personal rights no longer matters? One has to wonder whether a former prosecutor, of all people—someone trained to scrutinize the law—should be doing this.
That is why, even as I highly regard Han Dong-hoon’s performance, I cannot shake a certain uneasiness.
If you are going to hold others to an uncompromisingly strict standard, you must first apply the same standard to yourself.
#HanDongHoon #KimSeungWon #ProsecutorialLeaks
* This article has been translated by ChatGPT.