Investigation Review Committee Initiated by Han Dong-hoon Will Not Be Held

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office has decided not to proceed with the Prosecutors' Investigation Deliberation Committee requested by Chief Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon (47, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 27). Since the same matter was already convened and a result was issued by the Investigation Deliberation Committee on the 24th of last month, the office also decided to terminate the procedures for the convening requests submitted by civic groups such as the Citizens' Coalition for Democratic Media (MinEonRyeon) and the Action Alliance for the Restoration of the Rule of Law (Beopse-ryeon).

On the 3rd, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office announced that on the 30th of last month, the Prosecutors' Citizens' Committee decided not to proceed with the procedures to form a subcommittee for deliberation regarding the five requests for convening the Investigation Deliberation Committee submitted by Chief Prosecutor Han and civic groups, and to terminate the related procedures.

One request submitted by Chief Prosecutor Han was for the same case and reason for which the Investigation Deliberation Committee had already been held, and the four requests submitted by complainants such as MinEonRyeon were deemed to lack the right to request convening. According to the relevant guidelines, if the chairperson of the Citizens' Committee is not subject to deliberation or if the request is repetitive for the same reason, the procedures to form a subcommittee for deliberation may not proceed and the process can be terminated. Additionally, civic groups are not considered 'institutional complainants' and therefore cannot be subject to deliberation.

Chief Prosecutor Han, who is under investigation by the prosecution as a party involved in the so-called 'alleged collusion between prosecutors and media,' requested the convening of the Investigation Deliberation Committee on the 13th of last month, citing issues of investigative fairness. Han claimed, "While no meaningful investigation has been conducted against the side that planned and executed the operation, the investigation is limited to me, the victim of the operation, following the frame disseminated from the complaint stage by the leading side of the operation through friendly media and groups such as MinEonRyeon." Following former VIK (Value Invest Korea) CEO Lee Cheol (55) and former Channel A reporter Lee Dong-jae (35), civic groups such as MinEonRyeon and Beopse-ryeon also consecutively requested the convening of the Investigation Deliberation Committee.

The Investigation Deliberation Committee held on the 24th of last month concluded that the investigation against Chief Prosecutor Han should be stopped and he should not be prosecuted. It judged that the prosecution team's claim that Han conspired in the attempted coercion charge against former reporter Lee lacked credibility, and recommended that the investigation and prosecution against former reporter Lee continue.

Currently, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office investigation team plans to indict former reporter Lee, whose detention period expires on the 5th, but has not reached a conclusion on the disposition of Chief Prosecutor Han as they have not found a 'smoking gun' proving conspiracy.

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