"A Prime Minister’s Office Director Barraged Han Dong-hoon with Questions While Pretending to Be a Reporter"... Prime Minister Han Explains the 'Surveillance Controversy'

[Financial News] Prime Minister Han Seong-sook and independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon exchanged heated words. The dispute stemmed from an incident that occurred during the National Assembly’s plenary session on the 10th, when a Prime Minister’s Office employee intervened and asked questions at Han Dong-hoon’s press conference.
Before the questioning of the government at the National Assembly that afternoon, Han Dong-hoon met with reporters to rebut allegations concerning Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won’s relationship with a broker identified by the surname Yang, as well as Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok’s call for his expulsion.
During the event, a man asked, "The prime minister posted on Facebook today that she would direct an investigation. Do you actually consider that to be directing an investigation?" Han Dong-hoon replied, "In response to Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Hae-sik’s questions yesterday, she said, 'I will order a thorough verification by the relevant agencies.'"
The man then said, "So, the prime minister ordered a verification." Han Dong-hoon asked which media outlet he represented, but the man replied, "I’m a 'member of the general public.'" Han Dong-hoon subsequently wrote on social media, "I held a press conference for reporters at the National Assembly today. But someone asked questions defending Prime Minister Han Seong-sook and attacking me."
Han Dong-hoon said, "I normally do not ask which outlet a reporter belongs to, but the content and aggressive tone of the questions were strange, so I asked which outlet he represented. He replied that he was a member of the general public and continued asking questions." He added, "I happened to confirm that the person was a director at the Prime Minister’s Office."
He continued, "He pretended to be a reporter and then lied that he was a member of the general public. It is truly absurd and bizarre. I will hold him accountable." During the questioning of the government that day, he actually asked, "A Prime Minister’s Office employee lied that he was a member of the general public and asked questions defending the prime minister at my press conference. Is that appropriate?"

Prime Minister Han said, "If there was anything inappropriate, I will deal with it strictly." Han Dong-hoon then presented a photograph showing a Telegram chat room titled "Prime Minister + Senior Officials’ Room" on the person’s mobile phone and asked, "Wasn’t this directed by the prime minister?" Han replied, "That is not the case," adding, "If that is true, I believe it was inappropriate. I will look into what measures are necessary."
Han Dong-hoon asked whether the Prime Minister’s Office was surveilling an opposition lawmaker, but Han Seong-sook countered, "I think that is a highly inappropriate thing to say." Later, the prime minister also explained in a press briefing document, "Director A happened to pass by the press conference being held in the National Assembly’s Rotunda Hall, a public place accessible to anyone, with a colleague and spontaneously asked about things he was curious about."
The Prime Minister’s Office added, "Regardless of the reason, it was inappropriate conduct for a serving public official to ask questions at a lawmaker’s press conference without identifying himself," and said, "We are informing you that he has been issued a stern warning."
[email protected] Kim Hee-seon Reporter