'Defamation Charge Against Han Dong-hoon' Yoo Si-min Says in First Trial, "Broadcast Remarks Are Just Opinions"

Former Director of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation 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 Donghoon Jung] Former Director of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation Yoo Si-min, who was indicted for defaming Prosecutor General Han Dong-hoon, denied the charges at his first trial.

Yoo's defense attorney stated at the first hearing held on the 21st at the Seoul Western District Court, presided over by Judge Jisangmok of Criminal Division 7, "The defendant's statements in interviews and other occasions were not concrete factual assertions but speculations and opinions," adding, "There was reason to believe them as true, and there was no intent to personally defame," arguing for acquittal.

Yoo was accused of making statements 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 in 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 dishonest intent, but since the prosecution did not track the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation's accounts, the defendant defamed the victim by stating false facts."

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."