When the prosecution recently prosecuted a KBS reporter who reported the report in relation to KBS ‘ “misreporting of the transcript of collusion with prosecutors” sued by Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon , a backlash is arising within KBS that it is an “unreasonable prosecution.” Even in civil society, it is pointed out that “there is a possibility of abuse of the prosecution’s power.” Seoul Southern District Prosecutor’s Office 6th Criminal Division (Chief Prosecutor Lee Joon-dong) announced on the 5th that it had indicted KBS reporter Shin Seong-shik and Justice Research and Training Institute researcher (chief prosecutor) without detention on charges of defamation by publication and violation of the Information and Communications Network Act. In July 2020, Prosecutor Shin was accused of giving false information to a KBS reporter in connection with the alleged collusion of prosecutors involving Minister Han Dong-hoon (then chief prosecutor) and a Channel A reporter, and KBS reporter A was accused of defaming a minister by reporting false information. charges have been applied Previously , KBS reported that on July 18, 2020, prosecutor Han Dong-hoon and Channel A reporter had a conversation about the suspicion of involvement in Shillazen stock price manipulation by Ryu Si-min, chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation. However, when the party refuted the report and released the full transcript, KBS apologized for the misinformation and immediately deleted the article. Nevertheless, Minister Han Dong-hoon directly sued KBS reporters, executives, and informants to the prosecution for defamation.

The KBS Reporters Association protested against the prosecution of a KBS reporter. On the 5th, the KBS Reporters Association criticized the prosecution for unreasonable prosecution, saying, “I feel responsible for reporting the wrong facts” through a statement on the 5th.

The KBS Journalists 스포츠토토 Association said, “The prosecution has been conducting an unusually intense investigation for more than two years in a defamation case, and has prosecuted a reporter related to the report.” said. He then criticized, “If the defamation party and complainant were not the incumbent Minister of Justice, I doubt whether they would have even prosecuted.”

“The KBS Reporters Association will confidently fight for the truth during the trial process with the reporter in question,” he said. “We will prove that the prosecution’s prosecution was unreasonable.”

Kim Seong-soon, an attorney at Lawyers for a Democratic Society, said in a phone call with <Oh My News> on the 6th, “Because the prosecution prosecuted the accuser while he became the Minister of Justice, it can be criticized for abusing the prosecution’s authority.”

He continued, ” Because it was a case where KBS acknowledged the misinformation and immediately apologized, I don’t think there is any possibility that it reported it knowing that it was false.”