Suspects in the 'Geom-Eon Yuchak' Allegation Launch Full-Scale Public Opinion Battle Ahead of Investigation Review Committee... Full Transcript of Recording Released

Prosecutors' Success in Investigation Hinges on Proving Prosecutor General Han Dong-hoon's 'Collusion'

Former Channel A reporter Lee Dong-jae (left) and Prosecutor General Han Dong-hoon, who are under investigation for the alleged 'collusion between prosecution and media'.

On the 21st, the side of former Channel A reporter Lee Dong-jae released the full transcript of a recorded conversation that took place on February 13, when Han Dong-hoon, then Deputy Chief Prosecutor at the Busan High Prosecutors' Office, was visited in his office.

The transcript includes Lee saying, "Going around looking for Lee Cheol's apartment," to which Prosecutor Han responded, "That's worth trying. Anyway, Yoo Si-min already spilled the beans himself. Since it seems like it will come out, he started confessing first."

The former reporter’s side clarified through the transcript release that this was not a statement urging to "threaten Lee Cheol’s side to obtain criminal information related to Yoo Si-min," but rather meant that "Yoo Si-min had already publicly admitted through the media that he received lecture fees and gave lectures at VIK," which had already been disclosed in the media.

They appear to be presenting evidence to the media that there was no conspiracy (collusion between prosecution and media) for coercion between the two, in preparation for the Prosecutorial Investigation Deliberation Committee (Investigation Deliberation Committee) scheduled for the 24th. The committee will review whether to continue the investigation and prosecution related to the prosecution-media collusion case and present its findings to the prosecution.

◆Responding to KBS and MBC reports with transcript release and criminal complaints= On the 18th, KBS reported that former reporter Lee and Prosecutor Han "conspired to raise allegations of stock price manipulation involving Yoo Si-min ahead of the general election," but it was revealed that much of the statements introduced in the report were not in the transcript at all, leading to an apology from KBS just one day after the report.

The next day, MBC raised suspicion of conspiracy based on Prosecutor Han’s remark "That’s worth trying" after hearing Lee’s investigative plan. In response, Lee’s side called it a "biased report distorting the entire intent of the transcript" and urged MBC to take appropriate measures by releasing the full transcript.

◆If conspiracy cannot be proven, it will be a 'failed investigation'= When a detention warrant was issued for former reporter Lee on the 17th, there was widespread speculation around the prosecution that the investigation team would soon move to secure Prosecutor Han’s custody. Especially, as Judge Kim Dong-hyun, in charge of warrants, issued the warrant citing recognition of a conspiracy between the two, the prosecution’s investigation seemed to be gaining momentum.

However, the atmosphere reversed over the past weekend following the "KBS false report incident." While Lee released the transcript and Prosecutor Han filed criminal complaints against KBS reporters, KBS, which had reported that the prosecution had secured evidence of conspiracy, effectively admitted it was a false report and backed down, causing the public to begin questioning whether the two actually conspired.

This situation could work in favor of Lee and Prosecutor Han at the Investigation Deliberation Committee.

So far, the only potentially problematic statements from Prosecutor Han in the transcript are the "That’s worth trying" remark reported earlier by MBC and his comment, upon hearing Lee say he wrote a letter to CEO Lee Cheol, "If you get caught doing something like that, so be it."

Meanwhile, both former reporter Lee and Prosecutor Han will submit written opinions to the Investigation Deliberation Committee and engage in persuasion efforts directly or through their lawyers with the committee members.

If the committee, considering the recent series of events and evidence submitted by the prosecution, concludes that it is difficult to see Prosecutor Han as having conspired with Lee in coercion, the prosecution may face a situation where it must reconsider prosecuting Prosecutor Han altogether.

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