Prosecutors Conduct Search and Seizure of Aide to Democratic Party Lawmaker Kim Byung-wook Over Alleged False Presidential Election Reports

Raipoact News Agency Office and Reporter Residences Raided and Seized

Prosecutors investigating allegations of a false interview involving ‘Kim Man-bae and Shin Hak-rim’ related to the Daejang-dong development ahead of last year's presidential election have confirmed additional signs of false reporting and launched a forced investigation.

Prosecutors have requested an arrest warrant for the fifth cousin of Justice Minister Cho Kuk, a key figure in the 'private equity fund suspicion,' raising expectations that Professor Jung Kyung-shim, the minister's wife, will soon be summoned. The photo was taken on the 16th at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office's Special Investigation Team on the ‘Presidential Election Interference Public Opinion Manipulation Case’ (Team Leader Kang Baek-shin, Head of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 1) is conducting a search and seizure at four locations, including the National Assembly office and residence of Choi, an aide to Kim Byung-wook, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, on the morning of the 11th on charges including violation of the Information and Communications Network Act (defamation).

The office of the media company Report Act and the residence of reporter Heo, who operates it, were also included in the search and seizure targets.

Prosecutors believe that Choi and Heo conspired to publish reports supporting the claim that "President Yoon Seok-youl deliberately overlooked Jo Woo-hyung, the ‘Daejang-dong broker,’ during the investigation of the Busan Savings Bank case when he was a prosecutor," on March 1 of last year, ahead of the presidential election.

Report Act claimed to have secured a recording of former Chief of the Central Investigation Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Choi Jae-kyung, and Lee, a cousin of Daejang-dong broker Jo Woo-hyung, and reported that President Yoon Seok-youl, who was then the head of the Investigation Division 2 during the 2011 Busan Savings Bank investigation, was aware of Jo's criminal activities.

Based on the recording, Report Act reported that when Lee said to former Chief Choi, "Before Kim Yang, vice chairman of Busan Savings Bank, was arrested, Jo Woo-hyung was his errand boy, honestly," former Chief Choi responded, "Yoon Seok-youl said that," agreeing with the statement.

Prosecutors are reported to have judged that such reporting by Report Act constitutes false information.