Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon on the 20th publicly asked Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok when he first received tips about sexual harassment allegations involving Kim Seung-won, the former nominee for justice minister.
In a Facebook post, Han asked Kim, "I am asking publicly. When did you receive the tips from Kim's former aides about sexual harassment of a reporter, drunk driving and abusive language?" He added, "Is it true that you received the tips before the presidential office did and sat on them?"
According to a media report the previous day, a petition from former aides urging that Kim's ministerial nomination be withdrawn was delivered to the presidential office immediately after Kim held a news conference announcing his resignation. The petition described the sexual harassment allegations against Kim, efforts by aides to cover them up, drunk driving and subsequent verbal abuse of aides.
"Is it true that you received the tips before the presidential office did and sat on them?" Han said. "Even after receiving the tips, you didn't change your position — you kept saying Kim was a good pick and vowed to push the appointment through."
Han went on to say, "Will you also hunt down that whistleblower and make an example of them?" He stressed, "This is not over yet. I hear the news conference marking your first 100 days in office has been postponed. Don't run away — answer the question."
