Ex-Channel A Reporter Dongjae Lee Applies for Bail in 'Attempted Coercion' Case

Former Channel A reporter Lee Dong-jae attending the warrant hearing held on July 17 at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@ [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] Former Channel A reporter Lee Dong-jae (35), who is on trial in custody on charges of attempted coercion related to the so-called ‘media-prosecution collusion’ suspicion, applied for bail at the court on the 7th. It has been about three months since he was detained on July 17.

Lee’s side stated in a press release on the day, “Yesterday’s testimony confirmed that ‘the contents of meetings or phone calls between Lee Dong-jae and Ji Mo’ were not even conveyed to Lee Cheol, and that Lee Cheol first heard the name ‘Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon’ around March 25, after the crime had ended,” adding, “We believe the frame of ‘media-prosecution collusion’ has been broken.”

They continued, “Lee Cheol testified that he ignored or did not pay attention to the first and fifth letters, leaving only three letters as means of threat,” and “Even the so-called ‘prosecutor-originated information’ was merely materials already disclosed to the media.”

Also, Lee’s side claimed, “Ji Mo, who put Lee Dong-jae in a difficult position with interviews that were false or exaggerated, refused the court’s summons with irrelevant excuses,” and explained the background of the bail application, saying, “We do not understand why only reporter Lee Dong-jae must endure detention when it is unknown when the key witness will appear.”

They added, “Considering the considerable detention period in light of the nature of the attempted coercion charge, the fact that most witnesses are from Lee Cheol’s side with no risk of evidence destruction, and that family and fellow reporters are pleading for leniency, as well as Lee Dong-jae having lost his job due to this case, these factors should be taken into account.”

Finally, Lee’s side stated, “We plan to sincerely participate in the future trial proceedings,” urging the court for a wise judgment.

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