Han Dong-hoon
한동훈
Leader of the People Power Party
(Interim)
Assumed office
26 December 2023
Preceded byKim Gi-hyeon
Minister of Justice
In office
17 May 2022 – 21 December 2023
PresidentYoon Suk-yeol
Prime MinisterHan Duck-soo
Preceded byPark Beom-kye
Succeeded byTBD
Personal details
Born (1973-04-09) 9 April 1973
Seoul, South Korea
Political partyPeople Power (2023–present)
Other political
affiliations		Independent (before 2023)
Alma materSeoul National University (LL.B.)
Columbia University (LL.M.)
Military service
Allegiance South Korea
Branch/serviceRepublic of Korea Air Force
Years of service1998–2001
RankCaptain
(Korean: Daewi)
UnitMilitary advocate

Han Dong-hoon (Korean: 한동훈; Hanja: 韓東勳; born 9 April 1973) is the 69th Minister of Justice of the Republic of Korea, serving in the administration of President Yoon Suk-yeol. Han previously served as a junior anti-corruption prosecutor and played a leading role in multiple high-profile cases, including those involving Samsung executive Lee Jae-yong, former Presidents Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak, and family members of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk. Considered a protégé and close associate of Yoon, Han served as a principal deputy when the president held senior positions in the Korean prosecution service.[1]

Early life

Han was born on April 9, 1973, in Seoul, where he completed his high school education. He then attended Seoul National University's law school, where he obtained his Bachelor of Law degree. In 1995, while still in college, he passed the bar exam and then attended the Judicial Research and Training Institute (27th class). His first assignment as a legal professional was to serve as a military advocate in the ROK Air Force and finished his military duties with the rank of captain. He obtained a master's degree in law from Columbia Law School in New York in 2005 and was admitted to the New York State Bar.[2][3]

Career as prosecutor

In 2001, Han was appointed to the Seoul District Prosecutors' Office and began his career as a prosecutor.

When he was appointed to the Central Investigation Department of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in 2003, he first met with Yoon Suk-yeol to investigate SK Group's accounting fraud and helped arrest chairman Chey Tae-won, and investigated the presidential slush fund case, Hyundai Motor corruption case, and the Lone Star sale case.

In 2016, Park Young-soo's special prosecutor team investigated the case of the government manipulation of state affairs with Yoon Suk-yeol investigation team leader and arrested Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics.[4]

In 2017, Han was appointed as the third deputy prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, which oversees anti-corruption and special investigations, and assisted Yoon Suk-yeol When he was the 3rd deputy prosecutor, he led the arrest of former President Lee Myung Bak by revealing that he was the real owner of auto parts maker "DAS" and investigated former Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae's alleged abuse of judicial administrative power and handed over a large number of former and current high-ranking judges to trial.[5]

In 2019, he was promoted to the chief prosecutor and led the investigation of the family of the Minister of Justice Cho Kuk as the head of the anti-corruption and power department, even though he was widely regarded as corrupt and immoral. In 2020, then Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae demoted Han to Busan High Prosecutors' Office as deputy prosecutor in the first prosecution personnel reshuffle. In June 2020, he was demoted to a researcher at the Legal Research and Training Institute due to the 'Channel A scandal'. In June 2021,[6] due to the Ministry of Justice's personnel reshuffle with the prosecution, he was demoted again to the vice president of the Judicial Research and Training Institute.[7][8][9]

On May 17, 2022, Han was appointed as the 69th Minister of Justice of the Republic of Korea.[5]

Minister of Justice (2022-2023)

In his first speech as Justice Minister, Han stated that he would revive the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office's Joint Securities Crime Division (Korean: 증권범죄합수단) that was abolished by his predecessor Choo Mi-ae.[10] Han stepped down from the minister post in December 2023 to take over as the interim leader of the ruling People Power Party.[11][12]

Political career

Han took office as the People Power Party's emergency committee chairman on December 26, 2023.[13]

References

  1. ↑ Son, Hyun-soo (16 May 2022). "Soon-to-be justice minister says he was "lynched" for investigating corruption by powerful". Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  2. ↑ Jung, Min-kyung (20 December 2023). "[News Analysis] Will justice minister become beacon of hope for Korea's conservative bloc?". Korea Herald.
  3. ↑ Huh, Jin-moo (20 April 2022). "Han Dong-hoon's Apartment, An Expedient Gift from His Mother?". Kyunghyang Shinmun.
  4. ↑ Shin, Ji-hye (17 May 2022). "Yoon forges ahead with justice minister appointment against resistance". The Korea Herald.
  5. 1 2 Kim, Sarah (17 May 2022). "Yoon Suk-yeol appoints Han Dong-hoon as justice minister over objections". Korea Joongang Daily.
  6. ↑ 최순웅·이정민. (특수단 출범)③ 기업비리 전문 '쌍칼'...한동훈 2팀장. 조선비즈. 기사입력 2016년 1월 15일. 기사수정 2016년 1월 16일.
  7. ↑ 소중한. 부산·제주로 간 '윤석열 사람', 한동훈·박찬호는 누구?. 오마이뉴스. 2020년 1월 13일.
  8. ↑ 김계연. 법무부 '검언유착 의혹' 한동훈 검사장 직접 감찰. 연합뉴스. 2020년 6월 25일.
  9. ↑ 김태규. 측근 비호 비판에도…윤석열, 수사자문단 구성 강행. 한겨레. 2020년 6월 29일.
  10. ↑ "한동훈 1호 지시… 秋가 없앴던 '증권범죄합수단' 부활". 조선일보 (in Korean). 17 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  11. ↑ Kim, Han-joo (21 December 2023). "Justice Minister Han agrees to take over as ruling party chief". Yonhap. Seoul.
  12. ↑ Kim, Sam (21 December 2023). "Korea's Justice Chief Resigns to Lead Ruling Party in Election". Bloomberg.
  13. ↑ Kang, Jae-eun (26 December 2023). "Ex-Justice Minister Han to take over as ruling party leader". Yonhap. Seoul.
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