Yoon Seok-yeol Smear? MBC's 'Prosecutor-Media Collusion' Allegations Emerge as a Legal Sector Flashpoint

Ministry of Justice Orders Reinvestigation by Supreme Prosecutors' Office... Tense Battle Over Prosecutor-Media Collusion
Chosun Ilbo Questions Whistleblower's Purity, Calls Them a Hardcore Supporter of Current Government

MBC Newsdesk Broadcast Screen Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] Tensions are rising between the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution over media reports that a senior prosecution official, known to be a close aide of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, colluded with a media outlet to attack pro-government figures.

While the ruling party is intensifying its offensive against the prosecution, especially targeting candidates for the general election, the conservative camp has raised suspicions that this report might be an attempt to tarnish Prosecutor General Yoon.

According to the legal community on the 3rd, the Ministry of Justice sent an official letter to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office the previous day, requesting a reinvestigation and a report on the facts related to the media report.

In the report sent by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to the Ministry of Justice on the 1st, the day after the report was published, it was stated that "the other party in the recording file mentioned in the MBC report is not the prosecutor chief identified in the report, and the interview notes shown by the reporter are not the result of interviewing that prosecutor chief," along with the position of Prosecutor B that "there was no phone call with Reporter A regarding the ShillaJen investigation."

However, the Ministry of Justice instructed the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to reexamine and report the evidence supporting this report. In this regard, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office sent cooperation letters to MBC and Channel A the previous afternoon, requesting submission of related materials such as recording files and footage, but has yet to receive responses from either side.

The core issue is whether the person on the other end of the phone call in the recording file is indeed Prosecutor B, a close aide of Prosecutor General Yoon and the lead investigator of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, as alleged in the report. Even if Prosecutor B was not the other party in the call, whether there was any communication between Reporter A and Prosecutor B encouraging the reporting of misconduct by pro-government figures in connection with the 'ShillaJen investigation,' which is suspected to involve key figures of the administration.

On the 31st of last month, MBC reported that a Channel A legal team reporter approached the camp of former Value Investment CEO Lee Cheol, who is currently imprisoned in connection with the ShillaJen case, and requested information on misconduct by Yoo Si-min, chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation. During this process, the reporter reportedly flaunted his friendship with Prosecutor B.

Amid a series of reports and controversies, the ruling party's general election candidates are escalating their offensive against the prosecution, while the conservative camp suspects that this report is an attempt to damage Prosecutor General Yoon's reputation.

On the same day, Chosun Ilbo reported that the whistleblower who met with Reporter A in the capacity of former CEO Lee's representative and tipped off MBC about the report is Ji Mo (55), a staunch supporter of the current government who has been sharply critical of the prosecution. According to the report, Ji posted several notices on his Facebook before the MBC report aired, hinting at the broadcast.