Prosecutors Still at Channel A Headquarters Raid Yesterday... Chief Yoon Orders "Balanced Investigation"

Yoon Seok-yeol, Prosecutor General, Orders "Balanced Investigation of Multiple Related Complaints"

On the 28th, when the prosecution investigating the so-called 'geom-eon-yuchak' suspicion began a full-scale forced investigation by raiding the Channel A headquarters of the comprehensive programming channel, the press was waiting in front of the Dong-A Ilbo building in Jongno-gu, Seoul, where Channel A headquarters is located. / Yonhap [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] The prosecution's search and seizure at the Channel A headquarters, a comprehensive programming channel involved in the 'media-prosecutor collusion' suspicion, has not ended as of the morning of the 29th due to a standoff between the affiliated reporters and the prosecution.

According to the prosecution, around 9:30 a.m. the previous day, prosecutors and investigators who went to Channel A headquarters located in the Dong-A Ilbo building in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, have not been able to execute the search warrant and have not withdrawn as of the morning of the day.

The Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Jeong Jin-ung) conducted search and seizure at five locations, including Channel A headquarters and the home of Channel A reporter Lee, who is involved in the suspicion, the previous day. Among these, the search and seizure at all locations except Channel A headquarters were completed by the afternoon of the previous day.

The prosecution aimed to secure the original recording files containing conversations between reporter Lee and the chief prosecutor mentioned in the reports, as well as investigative materials related to ShillaJen, through the search and seizure at Channel A headquarters. However, since the morning of the previous day, dozens of affiliated reporters have been demanding the suspension of the search and seizure and blocking the prosecution's entry. This is the first search and seizure of a media company by investigative authorities in 31 years, since the Agency for National Security Planning's search of the Hankyoreh newspaper in 1989.

Meanwhile, the prosecution also requested a search warrant for MBC headquarters, which reported the suspicion, but it is known that the court dismissed the request. MBC is currently facing defamation lawsuits filed against the responsible reporters and journalists related to the report on former Deputy Prime Minister Choi Kyung-hwan's investment suspicion in ShillaJen.

Earlier, Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl instructed the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on the 17th to shift the investigation of the 'media-prosecutor collusion' suspicion, emphasizing a 'balanced investigation' not only on the content reported by MBC and human rights violations during the reporting process but also on other related complaints and accusations.

Currently, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office is simultaneously investigating cases including the one where reporter Lee of Channel A and an unnamed chief prosecutor were accused related to the MBC report, the case where former Deputy Prime Minister Choi filed a complaint against MBC personnel, and the case where Choi Kang-wook, a proportional representative elected member of the Open Democratic Party, was accused of defaming a Channel A reporter via Facebook.

Ji Mo (55), known as the whistleblower of the MBC report, is also under complaint by former Deputy Prime Minister Choi but was reportedly excluded from the search and seizure targets the previous day. Ji is said to be willing to cooperate with the prosecution's investigation regarding the case in which he is the accused but refuses to respond to the prosecution's investigation related to Channel A as a witness.

On the 31st of last month, MBC reported that a Channel A legal team reporter, boasting a close relationship with Prosecutor General Yoon's closest chief prosecutor, demanded the side of former Value Investment CEO Lee Cheol, who is imprisoned in connection with the ShillaJen case, to provide information about the misconduct of Yoo Si-min, director of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation.

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