Handongsoo, Head of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Department, "Reported the Start of the Prosecutor-Media Collusion Inspection to Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol Multiple Times"

Photo by Dongsoo Han, Director of Inspection Division, Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Facebook post capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Han Dong-su, head of the Inspection Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, revealed that he reported several times to Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol about initiating an inspection regarding the so-called 'prosecutor-media collusion' allegations.

On the 15th, Han posted on his social media service (SNS) Facebook account, "Regarding the MBC report, the report on the commencement of the inspection for fact-finding was not a unilateral notification but was made after several face-to-face and text reports to the Prosecutor General and the Deputy Prosecutor General," adding, "The text report was made according to the method decided by the Prosecutor General, who is currently on sick leave."

Han had not responded at all to media inquiries since MBC first reported the prosecutor-media collusion allegations on the 31st of last month, and this day marked the first time he publicly stated his position about two weeks later.

Han said, "At the time of the (text) report, the basis was specified as Article 4, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 1 of the 'Regulations on the Establishment and Operation of the Inspection Headquarters of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office,' which concerns the independence of the head of the Inspection Department in performing duties," adding, "The following day, some media outlets reported inaccurately."

This regulation stipulates that for inspection cases involving prosecutors at the level of high prosecutors (deputy chief prosecutors and chief prosecutors) or higher, the head of the Inspection Department must report only the fact of the inspection commencement and its results to the Prosecutor General.

Han also emphasized, "The virtues prosecutors need now seem to be 'humility' and 'honesty,'" and stressed, "The media must report facts as they are. If they try to create facts and situations, it can hurt people's hearts and harm society."

Earlier, MBC reported last month that a Channel A reporter, citing a close relationship with a specific chief prosecutor, had coercively investigated the former major shareholder of SillaJen, Lee Cheol, former CEO of Value Investment Korea, demanding that he report on the misconduct of Yoo Si-min, chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, which sparked controversy.

Subsequently, on the 7th, Han sent a text message to Prosecutor General Yoon, who was on vacation, stating that he would "initiate an inspection." It is known that Yoon, through his aides, expressed opposition, saying that fact verification should come first.

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office assigned the investigation of this allegation to the Human Rights Department, not the Inspection Department. Separately from the investigation by the Human Rights Department, the Korea Democratic Media Union (MinEonRyeon) filed a complaint accusing the Channel A reporter and the prosecutor of intimidation, and the case has been assigned to the Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (led by Chief Prosecutor Jung Jin-woong) for investigation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.