Former Roh Moo-hyun Foundation Director Yoo Si-min, who was indicted on charges of defaming Prosecutor General Han Dong-hoon, is responding to reporters' questions as he attends the first trial held at the Western District Court in Mapo-gu, Seoul on the 21st. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@
[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] Former director of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation Yoo Si-min denied the charges in a trial where he was accused of defaming Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon.
On the 21st, Yoo's defense attorney stated at the first hearing held under Judge Ji Sang-mok of the Criminal Division 7 at the Seoul Western District Court, "The defendant's statements in interviews and other occasions were not specific factual assertions but rather speculations and opinions," adding, "There was reason to believe them to be true, and there was no intent to personally defame," asserting innocence.
Yoo was reported for remarks made on a YouTube channel in December 2019 and on the radio in April last year, claiming that "the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Division illegally tracked his and the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation's accounts around late November or early December 2019." Prosecutor Han was serving as the head of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Division at the time.
The prosecution argued, "The defendant stated that the victim abused investigative authority with improper intent, but since the prosecution did not track the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation's accounts, the defendant made false statements that defamed the victim's honor."
On the other hand, the defense countered, "Rather than stating facts, the defendant expressed assumptions and reasonable suspicions based on publicly available transcripts and the circumstances so far that the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Division tracked the accounts."
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