The police have launched an investigation into a media outlet that reported allegations that an executive of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Construction Union assisted at the scene when the late Yang Hoedong, the 3rd district head of the KCTU Gangwon Construction Branch, self-immolated.
Late Yang Hoedong, 3rd District Chief of the Gangwon Construction Branch of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced on the 1st that they have summoned Cho Eun-seok, the Policy Director of the KCTU Construction Union, as a complainant for questioning.
Earlier, on the 22nd of last month, the Construction Union and Yang’s bereaved family filed a complaint with the police against reporter Choi from Chosun NS, a subsidiary of Chosun Ilbo, and the head of the social affairs department of Chosun Ilbo, on charges of defamation and defamation of the deceased. They had reported allegations on the 1st of the same month that a Construction Union executive assisted during Yang’s self-immolation.
The Construction Union also filed a complaint against an unidentified insider from an investigative agency on charges including breach of official secrets. This was based on speculation that the insider had provided the investigative agency with video footage captured from the on-site CCTV images included in the report.
Additionally, reporter Kim from Monthly Chosun, who reported suspicions that part of Yang’s suicide note may have been ghostwritten, was also sued for defamation and defamation of the deceased. Monthly Chosun acknowledged the false report and apologized on the 30th of last month, stating, "After the article was published, we requested handwriting analysis from two handwriting examination companies and received replies on May 21 and 29 confirming that the handwriting on the suicide notes was from the same person."
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