The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) Conducts Communication Surveillance on Whistleblower in Kim Hak-ui's Illegal Departure Case

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] The High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency (HCIA) is reported to have accessed the communication data of a current prosecutor who filed a public interest report on the 'former Vice Minister Kim Hak-ui's illegal travel ban' case.

According to legal circles on the 4th, the HCIA reviewed the call and SNS records of Chief Prosecutor Jang Jun-hee of the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office's Major Economic Crimes Investigation Division in August and September of last year.

Chief Prosecutor Jang, the whistleblower who raised the suspicion of former Vice Minister Kim's illegal travel ban, was previously investigated by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Inspection Department over the leak of the indictment by Prosecutor General Lee Seong-yoon last year. It is reported that the HCIA accessed Jang's records as part of the investigation into the indictment leak suspicion involving Prosecutor General Lee.

The HCIA is said to have obtained a communication warrant to review call details without formally indicting Chief Prosecutor Jang, who remains a witness in this case.

Meanwhile, Chief Prosecutor Jang plans to file an information disclosure request with the HCIA soon to verify the specific purpose of the data access and related charges.