Dongjae Lee "I have no acquaintance with Junsung Son... I did not ask for a complaint"

Regarding the so-called 'allegation of collusion between prosecutors and media,' former Channel A reporter Lee Dong-jae testified in court on the 27th that he never asked prosecutor Son Jun-sung (Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office Litigation Department) to file complaints against political figures.

Former Channel A reporter Dongjae Lee [Image source=Yonhap News]

On this day, former reporter Lee appeared as a witness at the trial of prosecutor Son, who is charged with leaking official secrets and violating the Public Official Election Act, held under the presiding of Judge Kim Ok-gon at the Criminal Division 27 of the Seoul Central District Court.

When the court asked, "Do you have any familial relationship with the defendant (prosecutor Son)?" he answered, "I do not even know him." In response to prosecutor Son's lawyer's question about whether he was acquainted with Son when communicating with Ji Mo, the so-called 'Whistleblower X,' in 2020, he replied, "I have never even had a phone call," and "I have never talked on the phone, let alone met him."

When asked by the defense lawyer, "Have you ever contacted defendant Son Jun-sung for reporting or talked about the ShillaJen case or the case of former VIK (Value Investment Korea) CEO Lee Cheol?" he firmly denied, saying, "Absolutely not." He also said, "Not at all," when asked if he had ever requested prosecutors or investigative officials to file complaints against Ji or former Minister of Health and Welfare Yoo Si-min, or Democratic Party leader Choi Kang-wook.

Prosecutor Son was brought to trial on charges of sending complaints against ruling party figures to Kim Woong, a member of the People Power Party (then a candidate for the Future United Party in the general election), while working as the head of the Investigation Information Policy Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office ahead of the April 2020 general election.

The 'allegation of collusion between prosecutors and media' involves former reporter Lee allegedly conspiring with Minister Han Dong-hoon, who was a chief prosecutor at the time, in February to March 2020 to pressure former CEO Lee and coerce him into providing information about misconduct by high-ranking ruling party officials.