Hankyoreh reporter indicted for reporting recorded phone conversation

Posted on : 2013-01-19 17:02 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Reporter says releasing conversation on sale of Jeongsu Scholarship Foundation was in the public interest
 2012
2012

By Kim Won-chul, staff reporter and Moon Hyun-sook, media correspondent

The 2nd Criminal Division of Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office (headed by Go-hueng) indicted without detention Hankyoreh reporter Choi Sung-jin on Jan. 18th on charges of violating the Communications Secrecy Protection Act. Choi recorded and reported on a conversation between Jeongsu Scholarship Foundation Chairman Choi Pil-lip and Munhwa Broadcasting Company (MBC) chief director of planning and public relations, Lee Jin-suk.

The two were recorded in a secret meeting discussing the disposal of the Foundation's assets. Media groups and academics have condemned the prosecution as a "measure which contradicts press freedom and the public's right to know." Prosecutors allege that on the afternoon of October 10, 2012, Chairman Choi spoke with Hankyoreh reporter Choi at 4:54pm and then had a discussion with planning and public relations director Lee Jin-suk and other MBC officials. Choi Pil-lip, unfamiliar with cell phone function, left his cell phone on the table without hanging up. On the other end, reporter Choi listened in on the conversation until 5:55pm and recorded it.

Munhwa Broadcasting Company (MBC) chief director of planning and public relations
Munhwa Broadcasting Company (MBC) chief director of planning and public relations

The Hankyoreh reported on Oct. 13 and 15, "The Jeongsu Scholarship Foundation is secretly planning to sell its shares of MBC and planning a large scale volunteer project for students and the elderly and those with incurable diseases in the Busan and South Gyeongsang province regions." The full transcript of the conversation between Choi Pil-lip, Lee Jin-suk and MBC General Manager of Strategy and Planning Lee Sang-wook were reported. "The report was a clever distortion based on what looks like an illegal wiretapping recording," MBC reported to prosecutors.

“Choi Pil-lip thought he had hung up the phone. Considering that he clearly said ‘I am hanging up,’ it was clear that the conversation that followed took place between other people. Despite this fact, the reporter recorded it and then reported it in the newspaper. Our review of the legal principles is that this can certainly constitute a violation of the law," said a source with the prosecutors.



The source added that the prosecutors do not view this as a premeditated criminal act, since Choi Sung-jin was not using professional wire-tapping equipment, and they indicted Choi without detention.

“The conversation between Choi Pil-lip and Lee Jin-suk concerned the sale of public property. It was important, as it could generate controversy about whether the sale was being used to give a particular candidate advantage in the upcoming election. Considering that the public interest in publishing the contents of this conversation far outweighed the concern that the privacy of the individuals must be protected, it was justified according to the principles of criminal law and there was nothing illegal about it," the Hankyoreh said in response.



"When something is taking place that goes against the public interest, it is the responsibility of a journalist to investigate that and to uncover the corruption," said Choe Jin-bong, a journalism professor at Sungkonghoe University. "[The prosecutors] are abusing the law by applying it according to the wishes of the government. They are trampling on the freedom of the press."

The National Union of Media Workers released a statement titled "We Denounce the Actions of 'Political Prosecutors' Who Are Gagging the Press." "Only in Korea are there prosecutors who take legal action against a reporter who wrote a scoop based on the people's right to know," the statement said.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]

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