Prosecutors Plan to Indict Kim Man-bae and Shin Hak-rim on Charges of Election Interference and Public Opinion Manipulation

The prosecution plans to indict Kim Man-bae, the major shareholder of Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management, and Shin Hak-rim, former chairman of the Media Union, early next week on charges of exchanging large sums of money in return for false reports that defamed President Yoon Seok-yeol's honor.

Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Seocho-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

A Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office official said on the 4th regarding the so-called 'presidential election interference public opinion manipulation' case, "We consider it a serious crime that undermines the election system, which is the foundation of democracy," and added, "They will be indicted within the detention period next week." Kim is set to reach the end of his detention period on the 9th, and former Chairman Shin on the 10th.

According to the prosecution, on September 15, 2021, when the controversy over the preferential development allegations in Daejang-dong arose, Kim met with former Chairman Shin, who was a specialist at Newstapa, and said that "President Yoon met with Jo Woo-hyung, a Daejang-dong loan broker who appeared before the prosecution during the Busan Savings Bank investigation, and showed leniency in the case." Five days after this conversation, on September 20, 2021, Kim handed over 165 million won to former Chairman Shin under the pretext of book expenses, which the prosecution views as payment for the false interview. Subsequently, Newstapa reported this conversation on March 6, 2022, just three days before the presidential election.

A Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office official identified Kim as the "main culprit of Daejang-dong," explaining, "Kim, who gained enormous profits from the Daejang-dong corruption, created a false frame to conceal his crimes, distorted public opinion through a journalist and media outlet close to him, and exchanged money in this case."

The prosecution has believed that there is a 'behind-the-scenes force' behind the false interview and has been conducting investigations to identify it. However, when requesting arrest warrants for Kim and former Chairman Shin on the 17th of last month, it is known that there was no mention of a 'behind-the-scenes' force in the request. Recently, however, media reports have emerged stating that Yoo Dong-gyu, former head of planning at Seongnam Urban Development Corporation and a close aide to Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party, testified that Kim communicated closely with personnel from Lee Jae-myung's campaign while in detention.

Regarding this, a Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office official said, "It is difficult to discuss investigation details," but confirmed, "I understand that Yoo Dong-gyu made such a statement." However, the official declined to comment on whether investigations into the campaign personnel who communicated with Kim have been conducted.

Meanwhile, seven current and former Democratic Party lawmakers suspected of involvement in the so-called 'Democratic Party Convention Money Envelope Incident' have not responded to repeated summonses from the prosecution. The official stated, "We are considering compulsory investigation procedures according to the law."

Regarding the summons investigation of First Lady Kim Geon-hee in connection with the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case, the prosecution reiterated its previous general stance, saying, "There is no set schedule or method for the investigation."