Prosecutors Seek Arrest Warrants for Kim Man-bae and Shin Hak-rim Over Fake Interviews in Presidential Election Poll Manipulation Case

The prosecution has moved to secure the custody of Kim Man-bae, the major shareholder of Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management, and Shin Hak-rim, former chairman of the Media Union, who are suspected of conducting false interviews and exchanging money during the 20th presidential election.

Major shareholder of Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management, Kim Man-bae [Photo by Yonhap News]

The Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on the 17th requested pre-arrest warrants for Kim and former chairman Shin on charges including receiving 165 million won in exchange for false reports related to the Busan Savings Bank investigation, disguising it as book payments (defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act, breach of trust, bribery, violation of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, violation of the Act on the Regulation of Concealment of Criminal Proceeds, and extortion).

According to the prosecution, on September 15, 2021, Kim conducted an interview with Shin, who was then a specialist at Newstapa, suggesting that "President Yoon Seok-yeol covered up the case of Jo Woo-hyung, a broker involved in loans related to Daejang-dong, while the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Central Investigation Division was investigating the Busan Savings Bank case." Newstapa reported this interview on March 6, 2022, three days before the presidential election.

It was confirmed that Kim handed over 165 million won to Shin on September 20, 2021, five days after the interview. Shin's side claimed it was payment for a book, but the prosecution believes the two exchanged money as compensation for the false interview.