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Chief Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon. / Photo by Jin-hyeong Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Kyung-joon] Responsibility is mounting for the command line that delayed the disposition of Han Dong-hoon, Deputy Director of the Judicial Research and Training Institute (Chief Prosecutor), in connection with the Channel A case.

The command line pointed out inside and outside the prosecution defined this case as a ‘media-prosecution collusion’ and included Lee Sung-yoon, then Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (currently Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office), Lee Jung-hyun, First Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (currently Head of the Public Investigation Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office), and Jung Jin-woong, Head of the Criminal Division 1 at the Central District Prosecutors' Office (currently Research Fellow at the Judicial Research and Training Institute), who delayed the high-intensity investigation and closure of the case against Chief Prosecutor Han.

According to the non-prosecution decision document of former Chief Prosecutor Han obtained by Asia Economy on the 8th, the prosecution judged that there was no direct evidence of conspiracy between Chief Prosecutor Han and Channel A reporters to threaten or coerce Lee Cheol, former CEO of Value Invest Korea.

The prosecution also stated that in the transcript of conversations between Channel A reporters and Chief Prosecutor Han, who was then Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Busan High Prosecutors' Office in February 2020, there was no conversation found in which Chief Prosecutor Han threatened the reporters and Lee to receive a tip. The investigation team clearly stated that it is difficult to recognize Chief Prosecutor Han’s charges even through indirect evidence and that there is no evidence to acknowledge the conspiracy.

The prosecution concluded that the only evidence was five letters sent by Channel A reporters to Lee and several mentions of acquaintanceship with Chief Prosecutor Han or high-ranking prosecution officials by Ji Mo, Lee’s proxy and known as ‘Tipster X.’ The ‘recording of a phone call with a prosecution official’ presented to induce the tip was also not considered evidence supporting Chief Prosecutor Han’s charges.

The prosecution specified in the non-prosecution decision document, "Even after comprehensively examining the collected evidence so far, including text messages, call logs, computers, mobile phones, and other digital media seizure materials, there is no content from which it can be inferred that the suspect (Chief Prosecutor Han) conspired with reporters to threaten the victim."

Ultimately, the prosecution concluded that there was insufficient evidence to prove collusion between Chief Prosecutor Han and Channel A reporters and thus no charges. Internally, criticism is being raised that despite no additional evidence being collected over the past two years beyond the materials secured at the start of the investigation, the command line was stalling the disposition. In fact, the final conclusion was reached only after the investigation team submitted the twelfth report of no charges against Chief Prosecutor Han.

Since the investigation was initiated by Jung Jin-woong, a close aide of Chief Prosecutor Lee Sung-yoon, the investigation team was replaced through regular personnel reshuffles, and each time they submitted opinions of no charges against Chief Prosecutor Han. However, the command line reportedly instructed to ‘re-examine the case.’ The current investigation team, formed in the personnel reshuffle in June last year, also took over the case from scratch and reached a conclusion after reinvestigation.

While Chief Prosecutor Lee and the command line were stalling the investigation, former and current Ministers of Justice Chu Mi-ae and Park Beom-gye exercised investigative command rights, and the ruling Democratic Party at the time expanded and reproduced the case, according to consensus in the legal community.

One Deputy Chief Prosecutor pointed out, "Despite the investigation team continuously submitting opinions of no charges, the command line ignored them, leading to the unprecedented situation where investigative command rights were exercised and the Prosecutor General’s duties were excluded. The command line must take responsibility."

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