The Democratic Party of Korea's National Communication Committee said it will file a complaint against former MBC reporter Jang In-soo, who raised the allegation of a "prosecution cancellation transaction." The National Communication Committee said, "Jang's remarks are false claims that defame the president and the government," adding, "We will respond firmly."
Kim Hyun, chairperson of the Democratic Party of Korea's National Communication Committee, held a press conference at the National Assembly on the afternoon of the 12th and said, "We plan to file a complaint with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency against Jang In-soo, who appeared on a YouTube program and made claims to the effect that a senior official attempted a transaction with prosecutors by asking for a cancellation of prosecution, for violating Article 70 of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection and for defamation by publicly alleging false facts."
The decision follows Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae's statement at a general meeting of lawmakers at the National Assembly earlier in the day that "groundless allegations of a prosecution cancellation transaction are running rampant," and that "the party will mobilize every possible means to respond strongly," signaling a hard-line response to the "prosecution cancellation transaction" allegation.
Kim said, "Since (Minister Jung Sung-ho) personally made clear that he is not a party to the collusion allegations, we view him as the identified figure," adding, "The remarks in question go beyond merely damaging the personal reputation of Minister of Justice Jung Sung-ho and are the kind of claims that could shake the Lee Jae-myung administration itself and affect the ruling party as well." Kim added, "Legally, the victim could be Minister Jung personally, but this complaint is a measure to respond firmly to falsehoods targeting the government, beyond restoring an individual's reputation."
Regarding criticism that the Democratic Party's response was not immediate, Kim said, "The National Communication Committee has been continuously reviewing the matter," and explained, "We decided to file the complaint after undergoing procedures to comprehensively verify the content, background, and facts related to the remarks."
The National Communication Committee added, "In connection with this matter, we also plan to apply to the Press Arbitration Commission for corrections and counter-statements against some media outlets that distorted the responses of the National Communication Committee and 'Minjudapolso' or made definitive reports without sufficiently verifying the facts."
As for why the complaint targets only Jang In-soo, Kim drew a line, saying, "Even if a reporter or a guest on a particular program spoke false, fabricated information, we do not file complaints against the broadcaster or the program itself," and "This complaint is likewise a legal complaint against Jang In-soo as an individual; the host or the program is not the target."