“A 20,000-hour volunteer résumé—did his daughter do it all alone?” Complainant in allegations involving Han Dong-hoon’s daughter appears for questioning

[Financial News] Police have begun questioning complainants over allegations that Han Dong-hoon, an independent lawmaker, stifled an investigation into claims that his daughter had fabricated résumé credentials while he was serving as justice minister.
On the morning of the 27th, the Metropolitan Criminal Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Metropolitan Investigation Unit is questioning representatives of a civic group who filed a complaint against Han and prosecutors suspected of involvement in the alleged cover-up of the investigation at the time, on charges including abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights, and dereliction of duty.
Ahn Jin-geol, director of the People's Livelihood Economy Research Institute, and Oh Dong-hyun, standing representative of the Lawyers Who Investigate Prosecutors group, appeared at the Metropolitan Investigation Unit's Yongsan headquarters that day. Before questioning began, they held a news conference and said they would submit to police records from the Anyang City Volunteer Center relating to Han's daughter's volunteer work.
According to the complainants, the records say that relevant information was deleted from the 1365 Volunteer Portal and the registration of a volunteer host organization was revoked due to inadequate volunteer management and the entry of false records.
Ahn stressed, “It must be established whether the investigation into Han Dong-hoon's family was halted because of a lack of evidence or because of interference by those in power. Investigators must also determine who entered the false records, whether the volunteer work actually took place, and whether those records were used for awards or college admissions.”
Oh also said, “If false volunteer records were taken into account in the process of granting public awards, such as the Incheon Metropolitan Council Speaker's Award, criminal liability, including obstruction of official duties through deception, should also be considered.”
The complainants called for an investigation into why a request for international mutual legal assistance in criminal matters concerning allegations about Han's daughter's overseas résumé credentials did not actually reach the relevant authorities abroad. They said investigators should establish how the request was drafted and approved, why it was not forwarded, and whether officials from the Ministry of Justice, the Prosecution Service, or the police were involved.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit previously received and investigated a complaint in May 2022 concerning allegations that Han's daughter had fabricated résumé credentials, when Han was justice minister. In December the following year, it decided not to refer the case to prosecutors, citing, among other reasons, a lack of suspicion.
The complainants say that at the time, police sought international mutual legal assistance through the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office to obtain overseas evidence in connection with suspected Copyright Act violations, but the request was not forwarded to a higher-level agency. They are calling for the facts to be established regarding whether Han and others intervened.
Police plan to review whether to question those involved after examining the circumstances of the complaint and the materials submitted that day.


[email protected] Choi Seung-han Reporter