The Han Dong-hoon Story

PART 04 Han Dong-hoon Finding Answers in Citizens' Lives · Source Text 02

In 2022, when Han Dong-hoon took office as Minister of Justice, South Korea was suffering under the terror of voice phishing.

Hundreds of billions of won in damage occurred yearly. Most victims were elderly. People losing their lifetime savings overnight became the norm.

Some victims took their own lives.

A voice on the other end of the line was destroying lives.

Han Dong-hoon clenched his teeth as he read the report.

"Why can't you catch them?"

The official answered.

"Most perpetrators are abroad. They operate from China, Southeast Asia, and other places. The only ones in the country are money collectors."

"Then catch all of them."

In July 2022, the Ministry of Justice launched the 'Voice Phishing Joint Investigation Task Force.' The prosecutors' office, police, Financial Supervisory Service, and mobile carriers participated together.

Han Dong-hoon led the effort directly.

"Focus on recovering damages.

Catching the perpetrators is important too, but returning the victims' money is more urgent."

It was someone's retirement savings. It was someone's housing deposit.

It was someone's child's tuition. Restoring that money was true justice. By year end, the voice phishing damage recovery rate had more than doubled compared to the previous year.

Of course, damages still occurred, but

at least the message was delivered that the state had not abandoned the issue. Securities crime investigations also intensified.

The Financial and Securities Crime Joint Investigation Task Force, nicknamed 'Yeouido's Grim Reaper,' began tracking stock manipulation rings. Crimes that devastated retail investors (thematic stock schemes, chatroom fraud, unfair trading practices) came under investigation.

Han Dong-hoon urged the investigation team.

"Remember the tears of retail investors. They bought stocks with money they had saved their whole lives. You must bring those who stole that money before the courts of justice." The National Finance Crime Joint Investigation Task Force was also launched. It was to prevent the leaking away of citizens' tax money. The targets were crimes eating away at national finances,subsidy misappropriation, fraudulent claims, improper benefit claims.

Han Dong-hoon repeated the same thing in every meeting.

"You must be able to explain it in three lines.

Why this person needs to be investigated,

explain it in three lines so any citizen can understand.

If you can't do that, don't conduct that investigation."

The three-line principle.

It was a philosophy he had held since his days as a prosecutor.

It meant not to hide behind complex legal principles and technical jargon.

Any investigation the public cannot accept

is merely an exercise of power, not justice. That was his belief.

"Even stripped of embellishment, there must be legitimacy."

He always added this remark to the investigation team.

That embellishment. It was the will of power, political intent, factional logic, and the like. It meant you should be able to say 'This person deserves punishment' even after setting all that aside. It was an order to increase the integrity of investigations.

In 2023, Han Dong-hoon's prosecutors conducted investigations without discriminating by political affiliation. Cases involving opposition party figures and ruling party figures were treated identically. There was no 'us versus them.' Only equality before the law.

Complaints broke out in some quarters.

"Why are you investigating our people?"

Han Dong-hoon answered.

"We do not discriminate by faction.

We apply the law more strictly to the powerful. That is why prosecutors exist."

That was ganggangyakyak.

Firm with the strong, fair to the weak. This principle was prosecutor Han Dong-hoon's creed and became Minister Han Dong-hoon's philosophy. It was not the easy path. It was a path that earned enmity from both sides. Yet if it was the path of justice, he walked it willingly.

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