Four, including MBC reporter, referred to prosecution for Han Dong-hoon info leak

[Anchor]

An aid to a Democratic Party member and an MBC reporter have been referred to the prosecution on charges of leaking personal information about Han Dong-hoon, the Leader of the People Power Party, during his confirmation hearing for Minister of Justice last year.

After a year and a half of investigation, the police have decided to send the case to the prosecution with a recommendation for indictment.

Reporter Gong Min-kyung has the details.

[Report]

The police investigation began in April of last year when an independent city council member in Seoul reported a member of the opposition, Mr. Seo, to the police.

It was alleged that Mr. Seo had delivered the resident registration documents and real estate contracts of Han Dong-hoon, who was then the Minister of Justice nominee, and his family.

The police traced the leak of the materials submitted to the National Assembly for the confirmation hearing.

They believe that MBC reporter Lim and opposition-leaning YouTuber Shim, along with Park, who was an aide to then-Democratic Party member Choi Kang-wook, were involved in the case, and conducted searches at Lim's house and office, the National Assembly Secretariat, and Choi's office.

[Han Dong-hoon/Then Minister of Justice nominee/May last year: "Wouldn't everyone agree that personal information should not be disseminated illegally to harm someone and should not be misused?"]

[Kang Sun-woo/Then Democratic Party spokesperson/May last year: "The National Assembly and the media are simply fulfilling their responsibility for the public's right to know and have been faithful to their original role of checking the government."]

After a year and a half of investigation, the police sent four individuals, including Mr. Seo, to the prosecution on charges of violating the Personal Information Protection Act on Nov.1.

Amid criticisms that this "chills the verification function of the National Assembly and the media" and that it is a crime of leaking personal information for purposes other than verification, the ball is now in the prosecution's court.

[Joa Se-jun/KBS advisory lawyer: "If it was used only for verification purposes and was not leaked to a third party, then that would be considered a legitimate act, and the illegality would be negated..."]

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office has assigned the case to the Criminal Division 3 and has begun its investigation.

This is Gong Min-kyung from KBS News.