2023-10-11 08:35:13
Investigation into ‘intervention in the presidential election and manipulation of public opinion’ begins in earnest
Search and seizure of Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Byeong-wook
False reporting of fabricated recordings 8 days before the presidential election
▲ Prosecutors are entering the office of Rep. Kim Byeong-wook of the Democratic Party of Korea in the National Assembly building in Yeouido, Seoul on the morning of the 11th to conduct a search and seizure. Prosecutors are conducting search and seizure of Rep. Kim Byeong-wook’s aide and news media in connection with ‘suspicion of manipulation of public opinion in the presidential election.’ Newsis
The prosecution, which is investigating suspicions of ‘intervention in the presidential election and manipulation of public opinion’, discovered the circumstances of another false report ahead of the presidential election and began a mandatory investigation into the aide of Kim Byeong-wook of the Democratic Party of Korea and an online media outlet on the 11th.
This is the third media company search and seizure related to this suspicion, following Newstapa and JTBC. Prosecutors suspect that Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myeong was involved in manipulating public opinion and appear to be looking for a link to support this.
On this day, the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office’s Special Investigation Team on Public Opinion Manipulation Intervention in the Presidential Election (Team Leader Kang Baek-shin) sent prosecutors and investigators to the National Assembly office and residence of Rep. Kim’s aide Mr. Choi, and the office of Mr. Kim, a policy research member of the Democratic Party of Korea, to secure relevant data. The search and seizure targets included the office of the online media outlet ‘Repoact’ and the residence of reporter Heo Mo, who runs it.
The prosecution supported the claim that Mr. Choi and Reporter Heo colluded on March 1 last year, ahead of the presidential election, and that “President Yoon Seok-yeol intentionally looked following ‘Daejang-dong broker’ Jo Woo-hyung when he was investigating the Busan Savings Bank case while he was head of the 2nd Central Investigation Division of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office.” It is suspected that a false report was made to that effect. At the time, Mr. Heo reported the contents, saying that he had secured a transcript of a conversation between Choi Jae-kyung, former head of the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office’s Central Investigation Department, and Mr. Lee, Mr. Cho’s cousin.
The report said that when Mr. Lee told former Central Investigation Department head Choi, “Before Vice Chairman Kim Yang of Busan Savings Bank was arrested, Jo Woo-hyung was Vice Chairman Kim’s errand boy,” former Central Investigation Department Director Choi retorted, “Yoon Seok-yeol said that.” Mr. Lee then said, “Did Yoon Seok-yeol say that? Jo Woo-hyung was reported to have replied, “It was a godsend that he hired lawyer Park Young-soo.”
The prosecution confirmed that the person involved in the recorded conversation was not former Central Investigation Department Director Choi. The prosecution believes that Reporter Heo, Choi, and Mr. Kim published this report eight days before the presidential election for the purpose of slandering President Yoon, who was a leading presidential candidate, even though they knew the report was false.
According to the political world, Mr. Choi served as the head of the situation team of the Democratic Party’s ‘Special Committee for Investigation into Yoon Seok-yeol’s cover-up and truth-finding of the 5 billion club’ and claimed responsibility for the ‘Busan Savings Bank’s insolvency investigation’ because the prosecution, including President Yoon, did not touch the case. Rep. Kim, who assists Mr. Choi, is also a member of the ‘Seven-member Association’, a group close to Representative Lee.
The prosecution plans to summon Reporter Heo and Mr. Choi as suspects for questioning as soon as the analysis of the seized items is completed. On this day, reporter Heo’s lawyer, Jeong Cheol-seung, said, “Seizure and search of the press can seriously infringe on press freedom by interfering with reporting on corruption in power.”
Reporters Kwak Jin-woong and Kim So-hee
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