[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] Yoo Si-min, chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, who was indicted on charges of defaming Prosecutor General Han Dong-hoon, denied the charges in court.
At the trial held on the 22nd under the presiding of Judge Ji Sang-mok of the Criminal Division 7 at the Seoul Western District Court, Yoo’s defense attorney stated, "In context, (Chairman Yoo) was criticizing the prosecution and other state agencies, not Prosecutor Han personally," and added, "Chairman Yoo expressed speculation and opinions based on facts he knew. Even if he mentioned specific facts, there was no awareness that they were false."
Yoo’s side also criticized the indictment procedure. The defense argued, "Since January 1, 2021, investigative authority has been adjusted so that the prosecution cannot directly investigate defamation crimes, and related cases must be transferred to the police," pointing out the prosecution’s direct investigation of Yoo as problematic. In response, the prosecutor claimed, "The complaint was filed with the prosecution in August last year, so the prosecution had investigative authority at the time the investigation began," asserting there was no issue.
On December 24, 2019, Yoo made statements on the YouTube channel 'Alileo' and in media interviews suggesting that the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Division had illegally tracked his and the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation’s accounts in late November or early December 2019.
In response, the Action Alliance for the Restoration of the Rule of Law (Beopse-ryeon) filed a complaint against Yoo on August 13 last year for defamation by false facts, and the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office sent Yoo to trial on the 3rd of last month.
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