Prosecutor Jin Hyewon Faces Trial After Posting Consecutive Political Posts on SNS

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin, Legal Affairs Specialist] Jin Hye-won, deputy chief prosecutor at the Ansan branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office (age 46, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 34), who sparked controversy by continuously posting politically charged writings on her social networking service (SNS), has finally been brought to trial.

She is accused of posting critical comments about opposition candidates such as Oh Se-hoon and Park Hyung-joon ahead of the April by-elections.

According to the legal community on the 6th, the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office indicted Prosecutor Jin without detention yesterday on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act and the National Public Service Act.

On March 31, ahead of the April 7 by-elections this year, Jin wrote on her Facebook, "One person self-allocated 3.6 billion won in compensation in 2010, which is roughly equivalent to just under 9 billion won in current value," and "Another person delivered a sculpture reminiscent of hookworm and received several multi-use residential buildings worth over 2 billion won."

Although she did not specify names, this was interpreted as referring to allegations of preferential treatment regarding land in Naegok-dong for then Seoul mayoral candidate Oh Se-hoon and allegations of sculpture delivery for Busan mayoral candidate Park Hyung-joon. She also criticized these opposition candidates, saying they showed "the height of 'vulgar selfishness' and 'lack of public service awareness' by using public office to fatten themselves or their families."

On April 6, the day before the by-election, Jin posted on Facebook under the title "Traitor," stating, "There is a term called 'Soongguri Party and its campaign workers' used to refer to everyone except the 'enlightened citizens.' The Soongguri Party and its campaign workers have a tendency to sell their positions anytime and anywhere for profit and suppress those who oppose them," thereby criticizing opposition supporters.

This investigation began with a complaint from the civic group Legal Action for Establishing the Rule of Law (Beopse-ryeon). Initially, the investigation was conducted by the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, where Jin was originally assigned, but after a personnel transfer, the Criminal Division 3 of the Ansan branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office (headed by Chief Prosecutor Kwak Young-hwan) took over and completed the investigation.

Considering jurisdiction, the Ansan branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office received a deputy prosecutor from the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office and indicted Jin at the Seoul Western District Court.

Lee Jong-bae, head of Beopse-ryeon who filed the complaint against Jin, stated, "It is unthinkable that a prosecutor, who should punish election offenders for the sake of democracy, violated the National Public Service Act and committed election crimes," adding, "Jin must be severely punished to protect democracy and the rule of law, and Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye must immediately begin disciplinary action against her."

In July last year, Jin sparked controversy over secondary victimization by posting on Facebook a photo of herself linking arms with the late former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, along with the caption "Confessing to power-type sexual crimes," and likening victims of sexual harassment by Park to "gold diggers."

Recently, she lost an appeal in the retrial against a warning disposition from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Headquarters for reasons including "improper office handling," filed against the Prosecutor General seeking cancellation of the warning.

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