U.S. Justice Department begins releasing Epstein documents. AFP=Yonhap NewsThe U.S. Justice Department announced on the 24th (local time) that over one million documents related to the investigation of the late Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender against minors, have been added, and it may take several more weeks to review and release them.

Amid various allegations surrounding President Donald Trump's relationship with Epstein, the Justice Department continues to release related documents, but the controversy seems to be escalating rather than being resolved.

The Justice Department stated on its X (formerly Twitter) account that day, "The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have notified (the Justice Department) that they have discovered over one million additional documents that may be related to the Epstein case."

It added, "The Justice Department is reviewing these documents to determine whether they can be released in compliance with the 'Epstein Files Transparency Act,' related laws, and court orders."

The Justice Department said, "Attorneys are reviewing the documents around the clock to conduct the legally required redactions to protect victims, and we plan to release the documents as quickly as possible. Given the vast amount of data, this process may take several additional weeks."

President Trump and Epstein (Washington AFP=Yonhap News) This photo, kept by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, shows President Donald Trump (left) and Epstein (center) speaking with a woman. Democratic members of the U.S. House Oversight Committee released the photo on the 12th (local time).

The Justice Department began releasing documents on the 19th after Congress enacted the 'Epstein Files Transparency Act,' mandating the release of documents related to the Epstein investigation.

The plan is to release hundreds of thousands of documents in several batches, but controversy continues due to selective data release and extensive redactions.

Furthermore, criticism has been raised that the law, which required the release of related records within 30 days of its enactment last month, has been violated as the document release continues beyond this deadline (December 19th).

The Justice Department had quietly deleted 16 documents released on the 20th, including a photo of President Trump, and then restored them the following day after controversy arose.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) criticized on the 24th that the release of these documents "further fuels public skepticism about the government's commitment to complete transparency and its ability to handle a difficult and unprecedented task."

Epstein, a billionaire hedge fund manager, was arrested on charges of committing sex crimes against dozens of minors and numerous women at his homes and estates, and died by suicide in prison in 2019.

Questions arose about Trump's potential involvement in sex crimes, as he attended parties and events with Epstein in the early 2000s before Epstein's sex crimes were revealed. However, Trump has maintained his lack of involvement and claimed it to be a political attack by the Democratic Party.

Documents released by the Justice Department since January 19th include data showing President Trump flew on Epstein's private jet eight times between 1993 and 1996. However, this alone is not enough to suggest an inappropriate relationship between President Trump and Epstein.