Minister Han Dong-hoon Appears at Police Over Stalking Allegations by The Tam Sa Reporter: "I Was Fulfilling the Role of the Press"

Violation of Stalking Punishment Act
The Tam Sa "Legitimate Reporting Purpose"... Followed 3 Times

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] Kim, a reporter from the citizen media outlet The TamSa, who was accused of stalking Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon, appeared at the police station on the 4th for his first suspect interrogation.

Kim is being investigated from 3 p.m. at the Suseo Police Station in Seoul on charges of violating the Stalking Punishment Act.

Upon arriving at the police station for questioning, Kim stated, "Minister Han is trying to label reporters who attempt to cover him as stalking criminals," adding, "If reporters trying to cover a story can be turned into criminals at any time, it raises doubts about who can perform the media’s role of monitoring and checking power."

According to The TamSa, Kim followed Minister Han three times in total from the end of August to September. They maintain that since their actions were for legitimate journalistic purposes, it is unfair to punish them under the Stalking Punishment Act.

Reporter Kang Jin-gu, who also participated in the press conference, said, "The TamSa was only conducting investigative activities to verify allegations about a drinking party in Cheongdam-dong reported in August this year," adding, "We followed Minister Han’s vehicle about twice, and the rest of the time was nothing more or less than inquiries near his residence."

The TamSa claims that the inquiry-based investigation itself was journalistic activity. Reporter Kang stated, "We were trying to more accurately investigate the exact location and participants related to the Cheongdam-dong bar allegations," and "We only followed the car about twice."

The TamSa uploaded a video on their YouTube channel claiming that on July 19 and 20, President Yoon Seok-yeol and Minister Han had a drinking party at a pub in Cheongdam-dong with about 30 lawyers from the law firm Kim & Chang.

Jeong Cheol-seung, a lawyer from the law firm The Firm representing The TamSa, said, "Currently, only one reporter has been accused, but if Minister Han’s claims are accepted, all The TamSa reporters could be expanded as suspects."

Earlier, on the 28th of last month, a staff member accompanying Minister Han filed a complaint with the police accusing violation of the Stalking Punishment Act. The suspect is accused of following Minister Han on his way home and lingering near his residence, causing anxiety. In response, the police have implemented provisional measures 1, 2, and 3, as well as safety measures for the crime victim.

Meanwhile, the police plan to focus their investigation on whether the reporters’ activities constitute stalking.