Handongsoo, Head of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Department, "Reported the Start of the Prosecutor-Media Collusion Investigation to Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol Multiple Times" (Comprehensive)

Photo by Dongsoo Han, Director of Inspection Division, Supreme Prosecutors' Office, captured from Facebook

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[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Han Dong-soo, head of the Inspection Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, revealed that he repeatedly reported to Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol about initiating an inspection regarding the so-called 'prosecutor-media collusion' allegations.

On the 15th, Han posted on his social media service (SNS) Facebook account, "Regarding the MBC report, the report on the commencement of the inspection for fact-finding was not a unilateral notification but was made after several face-to-face and text message reports to the Prosecutor General and the Deputy Prosecutor General," adding, "The report via text was made according to the method decided by the Prosecutor General, who is currently on sick leave."

Han had not responded at all to media inquiries since MBC first reported the prosecutor-media collusion allegations on the 31st of last month, and this day marked the first time he publicly stated his position about two weeks later.

Han said, "At the time of the (text) report, the basis was specified as Article 4, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 1 of the 'Regulations on the Establishment and Operation of the Inspection Headquarters of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office,' which concerns the independence of the head of the Inspection Department in the performance of duties," adding, "The next day, some media outlets reported inaccurately."

This regulation stipulates that for inspection cases involving prosecutors at the level of high prosecutors (deputy chief prosecutors and chief prosecutors) or higher, the head of the Inspection Department must report only the fact of the inspection commencement and its results to the Prosecutor General.

Han also emphasized, "The virtues required of prosecutors now seem to be 'humility' and 'honesty,'" and stressed, "The media must report facts as they are. If facts and situations are fabricated, it can hurt people's hearts and harm society."

Regarding this, a prosecution official explained, "The content on SNS is inaccurate, but we cannot confirm specific details or circumstances of the inspection or fact-finding investigation."

Earlier, MBC reported last month that a Channel A reporter, citing a close relationship with a certain chief prosecutor, had coercively investigated the former major shareholder of SillaJen, Lee Cheol, former CEO of Value Investment Korea, by demanding that he report misconduct of Yoon Seok-yeol, chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, causing controversy.

Subsequently, on the 7th, Han sent a text message to Prosecutor General Yoon, who was on leave, stating that he would "initiate an inspection." It is known that Yoon, through his aides, expressed opposition, saying that fact verification should come first.

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office assigned the fact-finding investigation related to this allegation to the Human Rights Department, not the Inspection Department. Separately from the investigation by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Human Rights Department, the Citizens' Coalition for Democratic Media (MinEonRyeon) filed a complaint accusing the Channel A reporter and prosecutor of intimidation, and the case has been assigned to the Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Jung Jin-woong) and is under investigation.

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