An arrest warrant for a person surnamed Heo, publisher of the Hanmi Ilbo, who reported conspiracy theories about Cheong Wa Dae First Presidential Secretary Kim Hyeon-ji, was rejected on the 10th.
Lee Jong-rok, a warrant-assignated chief judge at the Seoul Central District Court, conducted a pretrial detention hearing (substantive review of the warrant) the previous day for a person surnamed Heo, publisher and CEO of the Hanmi Ilbo, suspected of defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, and rejected the arrest warrant requested by prosecutors.
Lee said there was no risk of destroying evidence or flight, citing the status of the investigation, appearances, residence, and social ties, as the reason for rejection.
Heo is suspected of defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection for writing articles containing false information about adultery, an out-of-wedlock child, and misuse of state funds in connection with Kim, the First Presidential Secretary. The Democratic Party of Korea National Communication Committee filed a complaint with police against Heo and the Hanmi Ilbo in Oct. last year, and police, saying some charges were substantiated, sought an arrest warrant.
The Hanmi Ilbo is a media outlet Heo launched after leaving the online outlet Sky Daily. While at Sky Daily, Heo published a false report that "martial law troops arrested 99 Chinese spies at the National Election Commission," and an arrest warrant was sought in May on charges of obstruction of official duties by fraud, but the warrant was rejected then as well.