Audio files and the corresponding transcript associated with them reveal a conversation between Lee Dong-jae, former Channel A reporter, and Prosecutor Han Dong-hun. Above is a statement made earlier this year by Han Dong-hun a Senior Prosecutor at the time reported to be close to Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol. The denial by Han made in connection with disclosures from former Sillajen/VIK representative Lee Chol (imprisoned) and an anonymous informant alleging the existence of collusion between former Channel A News reporter Lee and senior prosecutor Han to frame media figure and liberal pundit, Yoo Shi-min for financial crimes. Earlier when the accusations arose prosecutor Han stated there was no such conversation and a record of it could not possibly exist. The new evidence raises serious questions about the credibility of denials coming from the prosecutor's offices.
According to an attorney for former Channel A reporter Lee Dong-jae, a transcript produced July 18 from audiofiles of the conversation among Lee, Han, and Bek, (an unidentified junior reporter) in Pusan, SK, on February 13, 2020, was complete and unedited. In fact, the "unedited" transcript was used as a basis to demand an embarrassing apology from a KBS reporter who had alleged that the recorded conversation was incriminating. The statement that the transcript was unedited is false according to an analysis by the 빨간 아재 independent journalist. A few journalists have publicly noted the omission of the critical reference to stock manipulation, that follows the comment that Director Yoo's lecture fee of 30 million won as alleged by reporter Lee "wasn't a problem." * Yoo Shi-min was the director of the No Mu-hyun foundation and a retired cabinet member addressing an audience of investors.
* 한동훈 “유시민 강연료는 주가조작”... 녹취록 공개하며 발언 삭제, 고일석 승인 2020.07.22 02:34; http://www.thebriefing.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=920
The pertinent portion of Han Dong-hun's omitted statement from the audio transcript is shown in the above graphic. It shows that Yoo Shi-min's lecture at VIK (Value Investors Korea) was considered by prosecutor Han as a potential basis to investigate Yoo for unlawful stock manipulation in his conversation with Lee Dong-jae. Lee Dong-jae said he would send a letter to Lee Chol in prison to pursue this. Han approved. Junior reporter Beck who was present offered to visit Lee Chol's wife. But on the transcript it says he would visit Chol's apartment. During the conversation Lee Dong-jae mentioned that Lee Chol wouldn't be getting out of prison until he was 80 years of age. In light of a personal journal written by Lee Chol these statements and omissions are material evidence. According to Lee Chol's account, and the MBC informant who alleged these matters and the existence of a recorded conversation on Lee Dong jae's phone with a high level prosecutor, Lee Chol was offered assistance from the prosecution with his sentence, and also a member of Lee Chol's family was threatened, by the newsman who claimed to be acting as a proxy for the prosecutor. In fact, former reporter Lee Dong-ae, is suspected of extortion and committed to pretrial confinement. The judge who issued the warrant said there was sufficient evidence to support the contention that Lee needed to be confined pending investigation as a threat to the evidentiary process.
A total of four letters sent by Lee Dong-jae inquired into the nature of former VIK representative Lee Chol's relationship with Yoo Shi-min, and the nature of consideration Yoo received from the company for his lecture. The existence of the letters and their contents serves to corroborate the nature of the audiofiles. They also corroborate the MBC informant's description of his meeting with Lee Dong-jae, and his description of the audio recording used as bona fides by the former reporter. Lee Dong-jae used the recording to support his claim of close ties to a highly placed prosecutor to support his efforts to elicit incriminating testimony from Lee Chol against Yoo Shi-min.
Additionally, there are other tactless, and disparaging remarks in the audiofiles about the Ministry of Justice, and President Moon, that suggest at best, Han had an inappropriate and overly familiar relationship with reporter Lee. The audiofile is raising an uproar on the left. On the other hand, the conservative media have neglected the import of the redacted remark by Han Dong-hyun and are creating the innuendo with the redacted transcript that the alleged 30 million won lecture fee represents corruption on Director Yoo's part.
There are several other cases in the queue of suspected prosecution-press collusion aimed at high profile democratic politicians who have been either been investigated, indicted or convicted to remove them from the political scene. The pending trials, of the former Justice Minister Cho Guk and his wife; the current governor of Kyeongkido, Lee Jae-myeong (acquitted last week); and the former Prime Minister Han Myung-sook (who was convicted on false testimony and served her sentence) are part of this pattern. There are others. The significance of the Yoo Shi-min Channel A News case is that it presents an immediate investigative challenge to the Prosecutor General's Office. It is a first attempt by the Democratic administration to get some oversight over a prosecution process that appears to have gone wild. Some critics say the unchecked abuse of power by the prosecutor general represents the final legacy of right wing authoritarian rule in South Korea. Lee Jae-myeong was a potential candidate for presidential office after President Moon's term ends. The prominent and charismatic Justice Minister Cho Guk was also a political threat to the vested chaebol interests.
Addendum 7.24
YTN News now reports that there were additional phone calls made by Lee Dong-jae to Han Dong-hun on 3.18 and 3.20 which correspond to the timing of meetings with the "informant." It is plain for all but those who refuse to see, that Prosecutor Han Dong-hun was "outsourcing" an unethical investigation to reporters at Channel A News. Channel A denies the allegations but will not comment on the grounds for disciplining other staff at the time Lee Dong-jae was fired. To make matters worse a former Justice Minister has disclosed that he learned that Yoon Seok-yeol had a secret meeting with the CEO of Chosun Ilbo while that powerful conservative media organization was subject to several lawsuits from labor and public interest groups, and one criminal investigation into the CEO's son for embezzlement and breach of trust. Yoon's office refuses to confirm the allegation. The legal analyst made reference to a Chinese proverb, "When the crow flies, a pear falls."*
*烏飛梨落. 오비이락 When the crow flies a pear falls from the tree. A strange coincidence arouses suspicion. Naver.com
Is all this correlation of evidence proof of guilt? The analyst said that he felt the legal committee of senior lawyers Yoon had established to consider the evidence against prosecutor Han, and former reporter Lee, would probably avoid a hasty decision, and await the development of further evidence to confirm the circumstantial coincidences in the evidence thus far. The decision of the ad hoc committee to consider evidence in the case and then vote on whether the investigation should proceed or whether indictments should be preferred, is completely without authority in the view of the Ministry of Justice. Other observers have commented that it is a trick to allow the media and Prosecutor General to save face by trying the press prosecution collusion cases in the media. The investigating team of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office was granted the authority to conduct a completely independent investigation without interference from Prosecutor Yoon's office because of conflict of interest. Yoon continues to ignore the Justice Minister Chu's orders.
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