Court to Hold Warrant Hearing Day After Tomorrow for Former Channel A Reporter Suspected of 'Geomun-Yuchak' Case

Entrance of Channel A headquarters, Jongno-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] The decision on whether to detain former Channel A reporter Lee Dong-jae, who has been indicted on charges of threatening former VIK CEO Lee Cheol to coerce him into reporting allegations of misconduct involving ruling party figures including Yoo Si-min, chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, will be made on the 17th.

On the 15th, the Seoul Central District Court announced that Judge Kim Dong-hyun, in charge of warrants, will hold a pre-arrest detention hearing (warrant substantive examination) for former reporter Lee at 10 a.m. on the 17th.

Former reporter Lee is accused of threatening former CEO Lee Cheol during the investigation of suspicions surrounding SillaJen, warning that if he did not report allegations of corruption involving Yoo Si-min, his family could face criminal investigations and other disadvantages.

The Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Jeong Jin-ung), which is investigating the case, filed a detention warrant for former reporter Lee on the afternoon of the same day on charges of attempted coercion.

Meanwhile, the Prosecution Investigation Deliberation Committee, convened at the request of former CEO Lee Cheol, plans to hold a current affairs committee meeting on the 24th to review the appropriateness of the investigation and the decision to prosecute former reporter Lee and Prosecutor General Han Dong-hoon.