"Truly Sorry for Failing to Distinguish Public and Private" Prosecutors Seek 3-Year Prison Term for Ex-Police Officer Who Leaked Lee Seongyun Investigation Information

Dismissed from Police for Breaching Confidentiality Duty
Sentencing Hearing Scheduled for December 17 at Incheon District Court

Prosecutors have requested a three-year prison sentence for a former police officer who leaked investigation information regarding actor Lee Seongyun, who died while under police investigation for drug use allegations. On November 3, Yonhap News Agency reported that prosecutors sought a three-year prison term for Mr. A, a former police officer in his 30s, who was indicted on charges including official secret leakage. The sentencing hearing will be held on December 17 at the Incheon District Court under the presiding judge Kim Saetbyeol.

A former police lieutenant from Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency, who was under investigation for leaking investigation information related to actor Lee Seongyun (48), who died while under investigation for drug use allegations, has had an arrest warrant requested on charges of official secret leakage and violation of the Personal Information Protection Act. Photo by Yonhap News.

Mr. A is accused of photographing an investigation progress report on Lee in October 2023 and providing it to two journalists he personally knew. The leaked report, prepared by the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency’s Narcotics Crime Investigation Division on October 18, 2023, included personal details such as the names, criminal records, identities, and occupations of those involved in Lee’s drug case. An entertainment media outlet that received the materials from Mr. A reported an edited photo and contents of the report on December 28, 2023, the day after Lee’s death. Subsequent related reports appeared in multiple media outlets, and on December 27, 2023, Lee was found dead near Waryong Park in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency booked Mr. A later that month and, after convening a disciplinary committee about two months later, dismissed him for violating the duty to maintain confidentiality.

Mr. A’s attorney requested leniency, stating, “The defendant was not the original source of the leak and did not gain any personal benefit from it.” Mr. A said, “I sincerely apologize for failing to clearly distinguish between public and private matters as a police officer, which led to this incident. If given the opportunity to return to society, I will strive to live more diligently as a member of the community.”

Meanwhile, Mr. B, an investigator in his 40s from the Incheon District Prosecutors’ Office, has also been indicted and is being tried separately for leaking information about Lee’s investigation to a local newspaper reporter. Mr. B is accused of informing the reporter twice that Lee was under internal investigation for drug allegations. The media outlet in question published an exclusive report titled “Top Star L Under Internal Investigation for Drug Allegations” on October 19, 2023.