Prosecutors Withdraw from Channel A After 41 Hours of Search... "Some Materials Secured" (Comprehensive)

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol Emphasizes 'Balanced Investigation' and Issues Warning to District Prosecutor Lee Sung-yoon

On the 28th, when the prosecution investigating the so-called 'media-prosecutor collusion' suspicion began a full-scale forced investigation by raiding the Channel A headquarters, a comprehensive programming channel, reporters were 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 of the headquarters of the comprehensive programming channel ChannelA, related to the 'prosecutor-media collusion' suspicion, ended at around 2:50 a.m. on the 29th, 41 hours after the search began.

A prosecution official stated, "With ChannelA's cooperation, some materials were secured, and we withdrew at around 2:50 a.m."

The Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Jeong Jin-ung), which is investigating the case, began the search and seizure at about 9:30 a.m. on the 28th at five locations, including ChannelA headquarters inside the Dong-A Ilbo building in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, and the residence of reporter Lee Mo.

While the prosecution completed searches at the other four locations on the same day, the search at ChannelA headquarters faced a standoff with affiliated reporters blocking entry, which continued past midnight without progress. This is the first search and seizure of a media company by investigative authorities in 31 years, since the Agency for National Security Planning raided the Hankyoreh newspaper in 1989.

Initially, the prosecution intended to search the workspaces and computer equipment of reporters involved in the coverage at ChannelA headquarters to secure the original recordings of conversations between reporter Lee and the chief prosecutor mentioned in the reports, as well as investigative materials related to ShillaJen.

However, the prosecution received some of the evidence listed in the search warrant voluntarily and agreed to receive other materials later after resolving technical issues.

A prosecution official said, "We received the necessary materials but cannot disclose detailed information."

On the 31st of last month, MBC reported that a ChannelA legal affairs team reporter, boasting of his close relationship with Chief Prosecutor Yoon's closest aide, demanded that the imprisoned former Value Investment CEO Lee Cheol provide information on the misconduct of Yusi-min, director of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, in connection with the ShillaJen case.

Currently, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office is simultaneously investigating several cases, including a citizen group’s complaint against ChannelA reporter Lee Mo and an unnamed chief prosecutor related to the MBC report, a case where former Deputy Prime Minister Choi Kyung-hwan filed complaints against MBC personnel, and a case where Choi Kang-wook, elected proportional representative of the Open Democratic Party, was accused of defaming a ChannelA reporter on Facebook.

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

Meanwhile, the prosecution also requested a search warrant for MBC headquarters, which reported the suspicion, along with the warrant for ChannelA, but the court rejected it. MBC is currently facing defamation lawsuits against its responsible editors and reporters related to the report on former Deputy Prime Minister Choi’s ShillaJen investment suspicion.

In this regard, some media outlets reported that the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' investigation team did not include the charges related to the cases filed against MBC when requesting the search warrant for MBC, listing them only as simple witnesses regarding ChannelA reporter’s attempted coercion charges. They argued this was the reason the court had no choice but to reject the warrant, raising concerns about the fairness of the investigation.

After receiving a report on the warrant requests and executions for ChannelA and MBC the day before, Prosecutor General Yoon once again emphasized to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, "Investigate all related issues thoroughly and in a balanced manner."

He also instructed, "Please be especially careful not to receive criticism for losing proportionality and fairness," which is interpreted as a warning message from Yoon to Lee Sung-yoon, head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.

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