[News Desk]
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The prosecution has stated that it is investigating the allegations of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s honor being damaged, and there is controversy surrounding the investigation of opposition party members including former Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, as well as journalists’ communication records.
As more individuals subject to communication scrutiny are revealed, the controversy is growing. MBC reporter and opposition party members’ aides were among those subject to communication scrutiny.
The opposition criticized that the prosecution is protecting the president while suppressing not only the opposition party but also the media, and they vowed to conduct a thorough investigation and respond firmly.
Kim Jung-woo reports.
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Here is a text message received by an MBC Newsroom journalist. It states that on January 4th, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office requested communication user information such as the name and phone number for investigation purposes. The journalist received the notice on August 4th, two days past the seven-month statutory notification deadline.
The journalist had been covering the investigation of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s honor defamation case and had conversations with Shin Hak-lim, a former reporter for News Tapa, since September of last year. The scrutiny of the journalist’s communications is believed to be related to the coverage done after the prosecution’s search and seizure related to the investigation of Busan Savings Bank.
Park Chan-dae, acting president of the Democratic Party, stated, “(President Yoon Suk-yeol) called the investigation into communication by law enforcement agencies ‘illegal surveillance. Only a despot would do such a thing.’ The Yoon Suk-yeol administration is like a Nazi regime where Gestapo reigns…”.
In the political arena, it is estimated that dozens of people, including current lawmakers and aides from the Democratic Party, including former leader Lee Jae-myung, and National Assembly members Choo Mi-ae and Kim Seungwon, as well as Shin Jang-sik, a member of the Justice Party, have been notified of their communication scrutiny.
Hwang Woon-ha, floor leader of the Justice Party, stated, “(The prosecution) should disclose whether they have accessed Kim Geon-hee’s communication information in the prestigious Baek Suseu case.”
Media and civic groups also criticized the classification of communication information for irrelevant regional media journalists as unprecedented ‘surveillance.’
Yoon Chang-hyun, chairman of the National Union of Journalists, commented, “The prosecution’s intention to meticulously investigate through rampant communication information inquiries, and use this case as it did during the military dictatorship era’s Public Security Organization incident, is an attempt to seize control around journalists through intimidation.”
While the Democratic Party and opposition parties are demanding information from the prosecution, they have also agreed to investigate the circumstances of communication scrutiny during the impeachment hearing of prosecutor Kang Baek-shin, who was in charge of the investigation into President Yoon’s honor defamation case.
This is MBC News reporter Kim Jung-woo.
Video coverage: Seo Hyun-kwon, Lee Kwan-ho / Video editing: Kim Jae-seok
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