'Hujayeon Reporter’s Request for Investigation Review on Presidential Election False Report Allegations Rejected by Referral Review Committee'

Heo Jae-hyun, a reporter from Repoact who is under investigation by the prosecution on suspicion of making false reports unfavorable to President Yoon Seok-yeol ahead of last year's presidential election, requested the convening of the Prosecution Investigation Deliberation Committee but the request was not submitted and was dismissed.

Heo Jae-hyun, Report Act Reporter [Image Source=Yonhap News]

According to the legal community on the 27th, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office Citizens' Committee held a submission deliberation meeting that day and decided not to refer the agenda requested by reporter Heo to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Investigation Deliberation Committee.

The Investigation Deliberation Committee is an organization that reviews the investigation process and evaluates the legality of the results in cases where public suspicion is raised or social attention is focused. Whether to submit an agenda to the Investigation Deliberation Committee is determined by the submission deliberation meeting held by the Citizens' Committee formed in each prosecution office.

On that day, 15 citizens including office workers, teachers, and nurses attended the submission deliberation meeting, discussed for about an hour and a half, and made this decision through a secret ballot.

Earlier, reporter Heo applied for the convening of the Investigation Deliberation Committee on the 13th, arguing that it was unfair for the prosecution to continue the investigation by applying defamation charges, which are not subject to direct investigation by the prosecution. He is accused of violating the Information and Communications Network Act by falsely reporting the so-called 'Choi Jae-kyung recording,' which supports the claim that "President Yoon intentionally overlooked Jo Woo-hyung, a 'Daejang-dong broker,' during the investigation of the Busan Savings Bank case when he was the head of the Criminal Investigation Division 2 at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office," on March 1 last year, eight days before the presidential election, thereby damaging President Yoon's reputation.

Reporter Heo is scheduled to appear at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on the morning of the 28th at 10 a.m. as a suspect to be questioned about the acquisition and reporting process of the 'Choi Jae-kyung recording.'

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