INTERVIEW | Why Sue Yoon Suk-Yeol? Veteran Journalist Explains His Case

Byun Hee-Jae's charges against Yoon Suk-yeol are based on his years as prosecutor and they've garnered the interest of leftist heavyweights like Song Young-gil.

September 11, 2023

By

JAPAN Forward

South Korean journalist Byun Hee-jae in 2023 (©MediaWatch)

On July 24, a civil lawsuit was filed in the Seoul Central District Court against Yoon Suk-yeol, the incumbent South Korean President. Byun Hee-jae, a South Korean journalist and founder of MediaWatch, is the plaintiff. He claims to have suffered "indirect damages" from what he says was a fabricated investigation conducted under Yoon's watch during his time as a prosecutor.

Yoon was appointed Chief Investigator of the Special Prosecutor's Office in December 2016 to probe political scandals associated with then-President Park Guen-hye. The allegations have to do with investigations during that time.

Byun contends that Yoon oversaw an investigation that included evidence tampering leading to President Park's impeachment. Park was impeached by the South Korean National Assembly on December 9, 2016. She was subsequently removed from office on March 10, 2017, after the Constitutional Court unanimously upheld the impeachment. Therefore, Byun claims Park Geun-hye suffered "direct damages" from the prosecution's fabricated investigation. 

In South Korea, a sitting president is immune from criminal prosecution but not from civil complaints. There are few examples to point to, however. And lawsuits concerning actions committed before one assumes the presidency are unprecedented in the country. 

Byun sat down with JAPAN Forward at the beginning of September to share his story leading up to the lawsuit. This publication makes no judgment about the merits of his arguments but believes the journalist has a right to tell his story. 

Excerpts of the interview follow. 

You claim that reporting on a tablet PC by Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company (JTBC) in 2016 triggered the impeachment movement against Park Guen-hye. Can you elaborate? 

On October 24, 2016, JTBC, one of South Korea's major television networks, began airing stories on Choi Soon-sil, a businesswoman, and her connection to then-President Park Guen-hye. The network reported that Choi was acting behind the curtains, meddling in matters concerning South Korea's diplomacy and security. Meanwhile, the reports said, she was exerting influence on the Park administration's recruitment. 

JTBC presented a piece of tablet PC as evidence. They contend it was utilized by Choi to sway government policies and edit Park's speeches. The portable device did in fact contain various classified documents relating to the presidency which, for obvious reasons, should not have been in the hands of a civilian. 

INTERVIEW | Why Sue Yoon Suk-Yeol? Veteran Journalist Explains His Case | JAPAN Forward (japan-forward.com)