[News Today] INDICTMENTS OVER YOON DEFAMATION

[LEAD]
Prosecutors charged a former spokesperson from the Lee Jae-myung campaign and two journalists with defamation from the last presidential election. They allegedly damaged President Yoon Suk Yeol’s reputation through false reports. This action follows 11 months after a special investigation team was formed last September.

[REPORT]
This article was published by an internet media outlet shortly before the last presidential election.

It says then-prosecutor Yoon Suk Yeol knew about Daejang-dong land development loan broker Cho Woo-hyung when the probe into Busan Savings Bank was underway in 2011.

The article presented evidence in the form of a conversation between the broker's cousin and former Supreme Prosecutors' Office senior official Choi Jae-kyung.

But in reality the person in the conversation was not Choi, but an aide to a Democratic Party lawmaker.

Prosecutors believe the participants of the conversation were fabricated by former Lee Jae-myung camp spokesperson Song Pyeong-su, and that reporter Heo Jae-hyun published the article even though he knew it was fabricated.

Another news article reported by JTBC at approximately the same time...

It also says that then-senior prosecutor Yoon Suk Yeol covered up an investigation against the broker.
It includes the words of a person who made a cup of coffee for the broker when he was summoned for questioning.

Lee Jae-myung / Then-DP pres. candidate (Feb. 2022)
Why did you make coffee for Cho Woo-hyung?

Yoon Suk Yeol / Then-PPP pres. candidate (Feb. 2022)
I have never met him.


However, the prosecutors presume that even after meeting with the broker in person, the reporter did not publish his words that he had never met with Yoon.

The prosecutors have indicted former JTBC journalist Bong Ji-wook, Repoact CEO Heo Jae-hyun and former Lee Jae-myung camp spokesperson Song Pyeong-su on charges of defamation.

Heo rebutted by blaming the prosecutors for letting the court decide even though they know he is not guilty.
Bong and Song could not be reached for comment.

The prosecutors have decided not to indict four other individuals such as Newsbus CEO Lee Jin-dong, citing the lack of evidence, and will continue investigating The Kyunghyang Shinmun for publishing similar articles.