On the 21st, the prosecution investigating allegations that false information reported during the last presidential election phase damaged President Yoon Seok-yeol's reputation launched a forced investigation into individuals who were active in Lee Jae-myung's Democratic Party election campaign committee.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office Special Investigation Team (Team Leader Kang Baek-shin, Head of Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 1) sent prosecutors and investigators to the residence of Song Pyung-soo, former spokesperson of the campaign committee, this morning to secure related materials on charges of defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act. The prosecution is known to have additionally identified Democratic Party figures suspected of involvement in false reporting, following the aide of Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Byung-wook and a National Assembly policy research committee member. In particular, they confirmed circumstances suggesting that Song conspired with Kim’s aide Choi and Democratic Party National Assembly policy research committee member Kim in the process where reporter Heo Jae-hyun of the internet media outlet Report acted in reporting the so-called 'fake Choi Jae-kyung recording.'
Reporter Heo reported the recording on March 1 last year, eight days before the presidential election, claiming it supported the assertion that "President Yoon deliberately favored Jo Woo-hyung, a broker in the Daejang-dong case, during his time as head of the Special Investigation Division 2 at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office investigating the Busan Savings Bank case."
The article included content where Lee, cousin of Jo and brother-in-law of former Busan Savings Bank chairman Park Yeon-ho, said, "Before Vice Chairman Kim was arrested, Jo Woo-hyung was Chairman Kim’s errand boy, honestly," and former head of the Special Investigation Division Choi Jae-kyung responded, "Yoon Seok-yeol said that," to which Lee replied, "Did Yoon Seok-yeol say that? Jo Woo-hyung hiring lawyer Park Young-soo was a masterstroke."
Since former head Choi was in a supervisory position over then-chief prosecutor Yoon, the implication was that investigation details reported by President Yoon were later conveyed to Busan Savings Bank affiliates.
However, the prosecution believes that statements by Choi’s aide Choi were misrepresented as those of former head Choi in the report. As the election approached, Choi and Kim allegedly delivered the recording to reporter Heo and conspired to distort the conversation parties and intent of the recording to defame President Yoon, according to the prosecution.
Song served as spokesperson for Lee Jae-myung’s camp, then governor of Gyeonggi Province, from the Democratic Party presidential primary phase, countering the Daejang-dong allegations. After Lee was selected as the presidential candidate, Song acted as campaign spokesperson, repeatedly raising suspicions of inadequate investigation against President Yoon through briefings.
Song also served as spokesperson for the party’s internal organization 'Hwacheon Daeyu Construction Corruption Truth-finding Task Force (TF),' created to respond to the Daejang-dong allegations. Both Kim and Choi were members of this TF. Song, who is also a lawyer, currently serves as vice-chairman of the Democratic Party’s Legal Committee.
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