A prosecutor investigator who was indicted for leaking investigation information regarding the late actor Lee Seon-kyun, who died while under investigation for drug use, denied the charges in his first trial, stating, "It is not a public secret."
The lawyer for A (44), an investigator from the Incheon District Prosecutor's Office, who was indicted for leaking public secrets, stated in the first trial held on the 19th before Judge Kim Woo-jin of the Incheon District Court's Criminal Division 14, "I acknowledge all the facts, but I deny any violation of relevant laws in terms of legal principles."
He further argued that "(the defendant) does not fall under the category of a person who handles personal information, and the leaked information does not pertain to information obtained in the course of duty or official secrets."
A is accused of having transmitted police investigation information regarding Lee's drug allegations to a local daily reporter B on two occasions in October 2023.
This media outlet exclusively reported on October 19 of the same year that "Top Star L is under investigation for drug allegations."
Lee Seon-kyun was criminally charged for drug allegations on October 14, 2023, and was summoned for police questioning three times, before being found dead on December 27 of the same year.
Subsequently, the Incheon Police Agency, which had been investigating Lee's drug allegations, requested the Gyeonggi Southern Police Agency to confirm the circumstances of the investigation information leak.
The Gyeonggi Southern Police Agency conducted a search and seizure of the media outlet that first reported on Lee's case in April of last year and the Incheon District Prosecutor's Office, and sent investigator A and reporter B to the prosecution without detention.
The prosecution decided not to indict reporter B, who only received personal information, as there was no recognition of any illicit purpose necessary for the establishment of a violation of the Personal Information Protection Act.
Police officer C, a former sergeant who leaked materials containing the progress of Lee's investigation (investigation progress report) to two reporters, was also sent to trial along with the reporters, and separate legal proceedings are ongoing.
As a result of the investigation information leak case, A has been excluded from duty and is undergoing disciplinary procedures, while former sergeant C has reportedly been dismissed.
[Kim Mi-ji, Star Today Reporter]
