Jeong Jin-woong charged with ‘self-harm’, Lee Dong-jae’s Gwangju trial failed

Deputy Prosecutor Jeong Jin-woong charged with self-directed assault against Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon. [연합뉴스]

The sixth trial of former Channel A reporter Lee Dong-jae on suspicion of attempted coercion took place at the Seoul Central District Court on the 30th. On that day, in the courtroom, we were unable to see the appearance of the Gwangju District Attorney General Jin-woong Jeong, who had been in charge of upholding the prosecution since the first trial.

After being promoted to Gwangju District Prosecutor’s Office from the prosecutor’s office last August, Deputy Prosecutor Chung brought the former reporter to trial by traveling six hours round trip. However, three review prosecutors who participated in the investigation were present at the trial that day, not Deputy Prosecutor Chung.

Inside the indictment, it is said that after Deputy General Manager Chung was charged with assaulting prosecutor Han Dong-hoon on the 27th, he was unable to take on the former reporter’s trial. In fact, the work was excluded. However, unlike a prosecutor who immediately dismissed his job after being controversial over the reporter’s earlier case, the Justice Ministry has not made an official decision to cancel his job.

Lee Dong-jae, a former Channel A reporter, was under judicial review in July. [연합뉴스]

In the trial prior to this day’s reporter, the trial was postponed due to the absence of ‘Informer X’Jimo, who was asked to attend a witness, and Kang Mo of an official from Channel A. Ji is a person who he had contacted the former reporter, claiming it was the agent of the former VIK representative, Lee Chul, who had threatened.

Judge Park Jin-hwan asked the prosecution that day, “I had issued a warrant for a job offer (for Mr. Ji). What about the prosecution? Judge Park issued an arrest warrant for Ji , who did not appear as a witness at the last trial, however, since Ji did not live at the registered address, the prosecution was unable to bring Ji to court that day.

Mr. Ji is in a position where it is difficult for him to attend as a witness if prosecutor Han Dong-hoon does not appear first. A prosecution official said: “You can review the recruitment method by investigating the location.”

Reporter X Jimo posted on Facebook the day before MBC reported on Channel A. [인터넷 캡처]

Ji often posted photos of drinking with friends on Facebook and even wrote a post mocking the accusation. A acting prosecutor said: “I wonder why the prosecution does not summon Ji, who also posts a photo from his drinking party on Facebook.” If a witness does not show up even after the court has issued a work order, the court has no means of enforcing the witness’s attendance other than fines for negligence.

Reporter Park Tae-in [email protected]