The prosecution, which has been investigating allegations that false reports during the last presidential election damaged President Yoon Seok-yeol's reputation, has brought charges against Song Pyeong-su, a former spokesperson for Lee Jae-myung's presidential campaign of the Democratic Party of Korea, and two journalists.
The Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Lee Jun-dong) announced on the 13th that it has indicted three individuals without detention on charges of defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act: former campaign spokesperson Song, Bong Mo, a former JTBC journalist (currently affiliated with Newstapa), and Heo Mo, a reporter from Report Act.
According to the prosecution, reporter Heo is accused of reporting false information on March 1, 2022, claiming that then-presidential candidate Yoon Seok-yeol lied about not knowing Jo Woo-hyung, a broker involved in the Daejang-dong development scandal, despite having investigated him during his time as a prosecutor handling the Busan Savings Bank case and reporting the results to his superior, Choi Jae-kyung, then head of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Central Investigation Division.
Reporter Heo broadcasted a transcript of a conversation, claiming it was between Jo's cousin Lee Cheol-soo and former Central Investigation Division head Choi. However, the transcript was later found to be a conversation between Lee and Choi Mo, an aide to a Democratic Party lawmaker.
Reporter Bong is accused of reporting false information during the last presidential election, alleging that candidate Yoon, while serving as a prosecutor in the Central Investigation Division, suppressed the investigation into Jo Woo-hyung at the request of Special Prosecutor Park Young-soo.
The prosecution also applied charges of obstruction of business, stating that Bong deceived JTBC's social affairs chief and news director to produce false reports, thereby interfering with JTBC's fair reporting duties.
However, the prosecution cleared Newsbus CEO Lee Mo and former journalist Yoon Mo due to 'insufficient evidence.'
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