'Geunson' Jang Young-ja, Lee Soon-ja Lady Defamation Lawsuit Sent to Prosecutors Without Indictment

Jang Young-ja at the time of arrest in 1994
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] Jang Young-ja (76), who committed a promissory note fraud worth thousands of billions of won by using connections with high-ranking officials during the Chun Doo-hwan regime, filed a lawsuit claiming that there were false statements in the autobiography of Lee Soon-ja (81), the wife of former President Chun Doo-hwan. The police have judged the case as no charges.

According to the police on the 16th, the Seodaemun Police Station in Seoul recently sent Jang's defamation lawsuit to the prosecution with a non-prosecution opinion (no charges).

Jang claimed that Lee defamed her reputation by describing in her 2017 autobiography "You Are Not Alone" that "Jang Young-ja, the wife of my uncle, used my name to carry out fraudulent activities with my husband Lee Cheol-hee."

In her autobiography, Lee wrote, "In 1982, I heard a very strange story from a relative, about a woman impersonating my close aide who was running a large-scale business," and "My husband (Chun Doo-hwan) said he received reports through the prosecution system, and that Jang Young-ja and her husband actively disguised themselves as if they were receiving special protection from the highest authorities, especially the Blue House, to lure and reassure companies."

In the complaint, Jang reportedly argued that she never mentioned Lee during the crime process and that the content in Lee's autobiography was false. A police official explained, "Lee did not write the autobiography with the intent to defame Jang but simply recorded her feelings and thoughts. There was no content that could be considered defamation."

Jang filed a lawsuit against Lee at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, but the prosecution later instructed the Seodaemun Police Station, which is responsible for the former president's residence, to investigate the case. Considering Lee's advanced age, it is known that the police investigated her through her lawyer.

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