Prosecutors Summon Chief Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon for Questioning Yesterday... Focus on Investigation Deliberation Committee on the 24th

Prosecutor General Han Dong-hoon.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] The prosecution, investigating allegations of collusion between the prosecution and the media, has summoned and questioned Han Dong-hoon, a key figure on the prosecution side (currently a research fellow at the Legal Research and Training Institute).

He is suspected of conspiring with Lee Dong-jae, a former Channel A reporter who has already been detained on charges of attempted coercion. This is the first time Han has been summoned by the prosecution.

On the 22nd, the Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Jeong Jin-ung) announced that they summoned Han yesterday as a suspect on charges of attempted coercion and conducted an investigation.

Since the Prosecution Investigation Deliberation Committee, requested by Lee Cheol, former CEO of VIK, who claims to be a victim of the collusion between the prosecution and the media, is scheduled to be held two days later on the 24th, it appears that the prosecution sought to secure testimony supporting the conspiracy before that.

Han had previously ignored three summons from the prosecution. However, after the court issued an arrest warrant for former reporter Lee last weekend, stating that "there is substantial evidence to suspect that the suspect tried to threaten the victim by connecting with high-ranking prosecution officials to achieve reporting objectives," revealing a presumption of guilt, Han likely judged that it would be difficult to continue refusing the prosecution's summons.

Han has filed complaints with the prosecution against KBS personnel and investigative officials regarding the KBS news report on the 18th, which claimed that "the conversation between him and former reporter Lee about suspicions involving Yoo Si-min, chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, and ShillaJen became decisive evidence for the arrest."

Among the conversations revealed so far, the only statements that could be considered suspicious of a conspiracy between the two are Han saying, after hearing about the reporting purpose and progress from Lee, "That's worth trying," and "If you get caught doing something like that, so be it."

Meanwhile, at the Prosecution Investigation Deliberation Committee meeting on the 24th, Chief Prosecutor Jeong Jin-ung, who is responsible for the investigation, is expected to attend in person to prove the conspiracy between former reporter Lee and Han. Both Lee and Han are also expected to attend the meeting to assert that there was no threat against former CEO Lee or conspiracy between the two.

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