NewsTapa and JTBC Raided Over 'Coffee False Interview' Allegations... Shin Hak-rim's Arrest Warrant Under Review (Comprehensive)

On March 14, the prosecution investigating the alleged false interview involving 'Kim Man-bae and Shin Hak-rim,' which was reported three days before the presidential election on March 6 last year, launched a forced investigation against Newstapa and JTBC.

The Special Investigation Team for the 'Presidential Election Interference and Public Opinion Manipulation Case' at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Team Leader Kang Baek-shin, Head of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 3) sent prosecutors and investigators to conduct a search and seizure on the offices of Newstapa in Jung-gu, Seoul, and JTBC in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on charges including defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act.

On the morning of the 14th, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office's Special Investigation Team for the 'Presidential Election Interference Public Opinion Manipulation Case' (led by Kang Baeksin, Head of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 3) conducted a search and seizure at NewsTapa and JTBC to investigate allegations of false reporting related to the Daejang-dong case. The photo shows the JTBC headquarters in Mapo-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

While the prosecution executed the search and seizure at JTBC's office, as of 10 a.m., Newstapa staff resisted the execution of the search due to the absence of their legal counsel. JTBC stated that they are currently discussing the search and seizure procedures with the prosecution on the condition that the newsroom is not accessed.

The residences of Han Mo, a Newstapa reporter, and Bong Ji-wook, a former JTBC reporter, were also included in the scope of this search and seizure.

The prosecution is investigating on the grounds that Kim Man-bae, a private entrepreneur involved in the Daejang-dong development project, conducted a false interview with Shin Hak-rim, former chairman of the Media Union and a Newstapa senior advisor, on September 15, 2021. The interview falsely claimed that President Yoon Seok-yeol, while he was head of the Criminal Investigation Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, covered up the Jo Woo-hyung case through former special prosecutor Park Young-soo. Five days later, on September 20, Kim allegedly paid Shin 165 million KRW as compensation.

Shin recorded the false interview and provided it to Newstapa, actively engaging in multiple discussions and thus playing an active role in the media coverage. The prosecution suspects that Newstapa, using Shin as a source, attempted to manipulate public opinion by publishing false news just before the presidential election. The prosecution started the investigation believing that President Yoon's reputation was damaged through this.

Former reporter Bong is accused of deliberately omitting statements from Jo Woo-hyung denying allegations of President Yoon's involvement in the Busan Savings Bank investigation cover-up, which were raised in JTBC reports ahead of the election last February.

He later moved to Newstapa. On February 21 last year, Bong reported based on the November 2021 prosecution testimony of private entrepreneur Nam Wook that "When Jo was investigated for the second time at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in February 2011, the chief prosecutor made coffee for him, and the chief prosecutor at that time was Yoon Seok-yeol, head of the Criminal Investigation Division 2." On February 28, he reported statements from two close associates of Jo, saying that "Jo boasted like a hero about having coffee with the chief prosecutor and leaving quickly."

The prosecution believes that despite meeting Jo in October 2021 and hearing explanations such as "I have never met Prosecutor Yoon Seok-yeol," Bong omitted this and reported as if the chief prosecutor who made coffee was President Yoon. Bong appeared on CBS Radio the previous day and rebutted, saying, "(Jo) is mostly lying about things unfavorable to himself. Then, is it necessary to include everything from Jo Woo-hyung's interview? It is up to the individual reporter to make that judgment."

He added, "Even if I admit that I did not include enough counterarguments, does that mean the suspicion of the investigation cover-up disappears? I raised suspicions; I did not state that it was a fact," emphasizing this point.

On the morning of the 14th, prosecutors visiting Newstapa in Jung-gu, Seoul, to conduct a search related to allegations of false reporting on Daejang-dong, are confronting Newstapa employees.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The prosecution is expected to analyze the charges against key individuals based on the materials secured through the search and seizure and then proceed to secure custody. The legal community anticipates that the prosecution will soon request an arrest warrant for Shin. Considering that Shin strongly denies the charges and that co-conspirator Kim, whose testimony conflicts with Shin's, was released due to the expiration of his detention period, raising concerns about collusion, the prosecution sees the need for detention investigation.

To secure evidence for the arrest warrant request, the prosecution conducted digital forensic analysis on materials collected from Shin's residence and other locations from June 11 to 13. Shin also attended the three-day digital forensic process. When Shin appeared at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on June 11, he completely denied the allegations of conspiring with Kim, calling it a "prosecutorial fabrication attempt." He claimed, "Between September 15 and 20, 2021, I went to Hwacheon Daeyu with Kim Man-bae, but I have never been near Hwacheon Daeyu or Cheonhwa Dongin before that. This is one of the prosecution's attempts to fabricate evidence."

He continued, "When I went to Hwacheon Daeyu, I was introduced to two officials, and I met one of them again when Kim Man-bae was in prison. I secretly recorded without Kim Man-bae's permission, so I feel sorry. It is related to that. I wanted to check on Kim Man-bae's health and see if there was a channel to send him a short message," he said.

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