[Exclusive] Japanese Reporter: "Public Corruption Investigation Office Accessed at Least 5 Japanese Media Outlets... Concerns Over Human Rights Violations"

Tokyo Shimbun Reporter’s First Statement
Asahi, Mainichi, Yomiuri, etc.
Additional Measures After Public Corruption Investigation Office Explanation
"A Rare Case Even in Japan"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency (HCIA), embroiled in a controversy over 'telecommunication surveillance,' has been confirmed to have bulk-checked the communication records of journalists from at least five Japanese media outlets.

On the 13th, Tokyo Shimbun reporter A said in a written interview with this paper, "The Japanese media whose communication records were checked by the HCIA include at least five newspapers: Tokyo, Asahi, Mainichi, Yomiuri, and Nikkei (Nihon Keizai)." He added, "It is concerning whether there is an atmosphere in Korea that allows investigative methods that disregard human rights. I hope that Korean investigative agencies will exercise self-regulation in light of this controversy." This is the first time that Japanese media have actively come forward and expressed their position on the HCIA's communication record checks through Korean media.

One Korean reporter working at the Tokyo Shimbun's Seoul bureau had their communication records checked by the HCIA. The Tokyo Shimbun officially protested to the HCIA at the Seoul bureau level and demanded an explanation. It is known that they recently sent an additional written protest and are awaiting a response. The Tokyo Shimbun plans to review the HCIA's explanation first and take further action if necessary.

The HCIA responded to Tokyo Shimbun's initial protest by stating, "We unavoidably requested communication records to verify who the counterpart was in the communication records of the suspect lawfully obtained," and added, "This was not to surveil journalists' reporting activities." They also said, "While the communication record checks were lawful, it is regrettable that past wrongful investigative practices were repeated without reflection." Reporter A said, "It is inevitable to suspect that communication records of people without any charges were indiscriminately checked," and added, "The media has a duty to protect sources, and unjustified information collection by public authority cannot be tolerated."

The reporter said that the HCIA's dragnet investigative method is a rare case even in Japan. He explained, "In Japan, communication record checks require a judge's warrant, and only when investigative agencies sufficiently explain the necessity can they arbitrarily check the contract holder's name and address of a mobile phone number. It is hard to imagine indiscriminate collection of journalists' information. If such a fact occurs, it could lead to state compensation and accountability issues for investigative agency executives."

On the 11th, HCIA Chief Kim Jin-wook said at a prosecutors' meeting, "HCIA prosecutors must do their best to exercise 'reflective authority' during investigations based on the constitutional spirit that 'all power comes from the people,'" and added, "All prosecutors should pool their wisdom to conduct investigations that consider not only legality but also appropriateness, meeting the public's expectations."

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