Seoul group files police complaints against Kim Eo-jun and Jang In-soo over indictment-drop claim
A Seoul civic group filed complaints with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency against broadcaster Kim Eo-jun and MBC reporter Jang In-soo, accusing them of spreading false information that prosecutors would drop an indictment in President Lee Jae-myung’s criminal case in exchange for prosecutorial reforms. The group said that the statements violated the Information and Communications Network Act and amounted to obstruction of work by coercion.
The complaints were announced at a morning press briefing in front of the Seoul Police Agency’s civil affairs office in Jongno on the 12th. The group, identified as the Citizens Action for Judicial Reform (사법정의바로세우기시민행동, 사세행), also named Jang as a co-defendant alongside Kim Eo-jun.
According to the group, Kim and Jang conspired to broadcast and promote claims that would undermine Justice Minister Jeong Seong-hoon by suggesting he made a deal with prosecutors to drop the indictment in Lee Jae-myung’s case, thereby harming the minister’s reputation and derailing prosecutorial reforms.
Jang On the 10th, the group says, appeared on Kim Eo-jun’s YouTube program, Kim Eo-jun’s News Factory, and claimed that “a senior government official close to the president” told several high-ranking prosecutors that “my words are the president’s will; drop the indictment.” The group contends such remarks were false and broadcast with knowledge of their falsity.
Justice Minister Jeong Seong-hoon has denied the allegations, stating that he did not tell prosecutors to drop any case and that he did not communicate messages or texts related to prosecutorial reform. He said there was no basis for the claim.
For international readers, the case underscores how media, politics and the judiciary interact in South Korea, a key U.S. ally with a large technology sector and global supply chains. The outcome could influence confidence in media independence, regulatory transparency, and rule-of-law dynamics that affect foreign investment, operations of U.S. firms in Korea, and cross-border regulatory expectations.
The allegations also touch on ongoing debates over prosecutorial reform in Korea. The bills referenced by the group, known as the 공소청법 and 중수청법, seek to restructure parts of the prosecution service and its investigation and indictment powers. How these reforms proceed can shape the environment for corporate governance, anti-corruption efforts, and the enforcement landscape that multinational companies navigate when operating in Korea.