In response to the 'Family Information Collection' report, Yoon's side says, "If false, attacking ruling and opposition politicians should leave politics"

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, a presidential primary candidate of the People Power Party, visited the statue of martyr Jeon Tae-il at Beodeul Bridge (Jeon Tae-il Bridge) over Cheonggyecheon in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 3rd. After paying silent tribute, he responded to questions from the press. 2021.9.3 Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] The campaign team of Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party’s presidential candidate and former Prosecutor General, warned against the internet media outlet "Newsbus" for its report claiming that Yoon instructed the collection of information related to family incidents during his tenure as Prosecutor General. The team called it "a tiresome political conspiracy melodrama starting again" and cautioned, "If the report is proven false, all politicians from both ruling and opposition parties who are attacking using this article should take responsibility and leave politics."

Kim Byung-min, spokesperson for Yoon’s campaign, issued a statement saying, "Newsbus’s false and distorted report appears to be a political conspiracy trial orchestrated by the Chu Mi-ae faction."

Spokesperson Kim pointed out, "After publishing a series of malicious articles attacking candidate Yoon by alleging he ordered the prosecution to file complaints against opposition figures like Choi Kang-wook and Yoo Si-min, they have once again spread a bogus distorted article through the internet network. Nowhere in the article does it say that Prosecutor General Yoon gave such instructions."

Previously, Newsbus raised suspicions that the Investigation Information Policy Office of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office collected information on cases involving Yoon’s wife Kim Geon-hee and mother-in-law Choi Mo. This claim was based on the testimony of Lee Jung-hyun, then head of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office Public Investigation Department, who appeared before the Ministry of Justice’s Prosecutor Disciplinary Committee regarding Yoon.

Spokesperson Kim said, "What is the intention behind presenting previously reported news as exclusive, and publishing articles based on unverified hearsay that was not even adopted as grounds for disciplinary action as if it were fact? What kind of forces and sordid backroom deals are behind this to keep releasing such absurd articles?"

He added, "Newsbus should immediately disclose evidence that candidate Yoon ordered the prosecution to file complaints against ruling party figures or that he instructed the Investigation Information Policy Office to collect family information. If they fail to do so, Newsbus and publisher Lee Jin-dong will be recorded in the history of journalism as the most disgraceful media outlet and publisher."