Lee Dong-jae and Han Dong-hoon: "KBS News Report is False... Strict Legal Action Will Be Taken for False Reporting and Distribution"

Screenshot of KBS 9 o'clock news on the 18th.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] Former Channel A reporter Lee Dong-jae (in custody), who is under prosecution investigation for the alleged "collusion between prosecutors and media," and the side of Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon have announced their intention to take strict legal action against the KBS news report on the 18th and the dissemination of it, which claimed that "the recorded conversation between the two regarding the suspicion of Yoo Si-min, chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, being involved in the SillaJen case became the decisive evidence (smoking gun) for the detention."

On the 19th, Lee’s lawyer stated in a press release, "The content reported by KBS yesterday as the conversation in the Busan recording between Lee Dong-jae and Han Dong-hoon is completely different from the actual recording after verification."

He added, "However, after the above report, some politicians and parties involved in the case have been spreading the false report as if it were true on social media," emphasizing, "We plan to take strong legal action against the false report and its dissemination."

Lee’s side pointed out three parts of the report as false.

First, Lee’s side refuted the report stating, "Former Channel A reporter Lee Dong-jae met Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon at the Busan High Prosecutors' Office before the last general election, and it was confirmed through KBS coverage that the two conspired to raise suspicions about Yoo Si-min, chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, being involved in the SillaJen stock manipulation case," as untrue.

Lee’s side said, "In the Busan recording, there is no conversation conspiring to raise suspicions about Yoo Si-min’s involvement in the SillaJen stock manipulation," and countered, "Rather, in response to Lee Dong-jae’s repeated questions about Yoo Si-min, Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon merely stated, ‘I have no idea where or what Yoo Si-min has done. I am not interested. It is important to swiftly and accurately investigate financial crimes against the general public. Using celebrities in lectures is a typical method by stock manipulation criminals to deceive ordinary people.’"

Lee’s side also claimed that the report stating, "According to KBS coverage, Lee mentioned the need to investigate Yoo Si-min-related matters, saying that if the opposition party wins the general election, it would strengthen Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, and Prosecutor Han encouraged him with words implying support," is false.

Lee’s side emphasized, "The Busan recording does not contain the words ‘general election’ or ‘opposition party’ at all," and stressed, "There is no similar conversation from anyone mentioning ‘general election,’ ‘if the opposition wins, it helps the Prosecutor General,’ ‘strengthening,’ ‘support,’ or ‘encouragement,’ and there was no conversation related to the general election, nor did Prosecutor Han make any encouraging remarks such as ‘I will help.’"

Lastly, Lee’s side pointed out that the report stating, "There were also remarks such as ‘Yoo Si-min has retired from politics’ and ‘even if investigated, the political burden is not significant,’ and that there was a conversation between the two about the timing of the report before the general election," is also untrue.

Lee’s side said, "In the Busan recording, there is no conversation about ‘retiring from politics,’ ‘political burden not being significant even if investigated,’ or about the ‘timing of the report,’" and emphasized, "Rather, in response to Lee Dong-jae’s questions about Yoo Si-min, Prosecutor Han said, ‘I have no idea where or what Yoo Si-min has done. He is not a politician, and I am not interested. It is important to accurately investigate financial crimes affecting ordinary citizens.’"

Prosecutor Han’s lawyer also announced on the same day through a statement regarding the KBS report that they would take legal action.

Han’s side stated, "In the 9 o’clock news yesterday, KBS reported under the headline ‘Yoo Si-min - General Election Related Conversation is a Smoking Gun’ that during the Busan conversation with Lee Dong-jae, ‘Lee mentioned the need to investigate Yoo Si-min-related matters, saying that if the opposition party wins the general election, it would strengthen Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, and Prosecutor Han encouraged him with words implying support,’ and that ‘Yoo Si-min has retired from politics’ and ‘even if investigated, the political burden is not significant.’ However, KBS’s report is a complete fabrication and fiction, as if such a conversation actually existed."

They added, "The timing and content of the report are extremely malicious, and we were not contacted for confirmation before the report was aired," emphasizing, "It must be revealed from whom KBS heard this false report without confirming with the parties involved."

Han’s side announced, "We will file a complaint with the Press Arbitration Commission and take civil and criminal legal actions against KBS and the reporting journalists, and we will also take strict legal action against those who maliciously spread the report."

The previous day, KBS reported in the 9 o’clock news under the title ‘Yoo Si-min - General Election Related Conversation is a Smoking Gun’ that "The decisive ‘smoking gun’ for the detention of former reporter Lee Dong-jae was the recorded conversation between Lee and Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon in February."

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