Singer Jung Joon-young’s Case: Private Forensics Company and Lawyer Selected as Government Audit Witnesses
A private forensics company, referred to as Mr. A, and lawyer So-yeon Kim have been chosen as witnesses for the government’s audit regarding the recovered file of the so-called ‘golden phone’. This file was used as evidence for the criminal punishment of singer Jung Joon-young. Questions surrounding alleged unfair rewards received by Mr. A from the Civil Rights Commission, in collaboration with former Chair Jeon Hyeon-hee, are expected to be addressed during the inspection of the National Assembly.
Witnesses Selected for National Assembly’s Examination
The National Assembly’s Political Affairs Committee held a plenary meeting on the 10th and further witnesses were adopted to appear at the National Assembly’s examination. Accordingly, Attorney Kim and Mr. A have been scheduled to testify before the National Audit Office of the Civil Rights Commission on the 19th.
The adoption of witnesses was initiated by People Power Party lawmaker Choi Seung-jae. Last June, Attorney Kim claimed that Mr. A received an unfair award from the Civil Rights Commission during a press conference organized through Representative Choi Seung-jae’s office.
The Involvement of Mr. A and the Civil Rights Commission
Mr. A, a businessman, was asked by Jung Joon-young to recover his mobile phone in 2016. He kept separate copies of KakaoTalk content and photos for approximately three years. When the ‘Burning Sun Gate’ scandal emerged in early 2019, Bang’s lawyer, acting on behalf of Jeong-hyun, submitted the files to the Civil Rights Commission. Upon receiving the report, the Civil Rights Commission requested the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office to initiate an investigation. As a result, Jung Joon-young was convicted in September 2020, receiving a five-year prison sentence from the Supreme Court on charges including gang rape. In 2021, Mr. A received a ‘public interest reporting reward’ of 50 million won from the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission.
Attorney Kim’s Position
Regarding this matter, Attorney Kim argued that “former Chairman Jeon Hyun-hee rapidly reviewed Mr. A and designated him as a public interest reporter, providing him with protective measures.” Attorney Kim further stated that “the person who provided illegal data was designated as a public interest reporter.” He also highlighted how “Mr. A’s involvement pertained to violations of the Information and Communications Network Act, while those implicated in the case were sanctioned for charges related to prostitution.” Attorney Kim emphasized that “initially, sexual crimes were not included in the act violating public welfare, but following the amendment proposed by Representative Ahn Min-seok and the subsequent passage of the Defense Act, Mr. A received the award.” Additionally, Attorney Kim mentioned that “Mr. A colluded with Chairman Jeon and received the prize money.”
Responses from Chairman Jeon and the Civil Rights Commission
In response to these claims, Chairman Jeon stated, “The decision to award compensation to the Civil Rights Commission is made through strict legal procedures,” and emphasized that “the Chairman of the Civil Rights Commission does not have the authority to interfere in this process.”
The Civil Rights Commission also clarified, stating that “the decision to pay the award is made jointly by the full committee after thorough discussion and a decision by the Compensation Negotiating Committee,” further stating that “even the head of the organization does not wield influence over this decision-making structure.”
Assemblyman Choi’s Office’s Perspective
An official from Assemblyman Choi’s office addressed the situation, stating that “Mr. A is not a victim of the incident and does not have direct involvement,” further noting, “It is important to inquire why an individual like him received an award solely based on being a public interest reporter.”
Singer Jung Joon-young. /News 1
A, a private forensics company, and lawyer So-yeon Kim, who reported in the public interest the recovered file of the so-called ‘golden phone’, which was used as evidence for the criminal punishment of singer Jung Joon- young, were chosen as witnesses for the government’s audit. Attorney Kim has been accused of alleging that Mr A received unfair rewards from the Civil Rights Commission by planning with the former Chair of the Civil Rights Commission Jeon Hyeon-hee, and questions about this are expected to be asked in during the inspection of the National Assembly.
The National Assembly’s Political Affairs Committee held a plenary meeting on the 10th and additional witnesses were adopted to appear at the National Assembly’s examination. Accordingly, Attorney Kim and Mr. A are scheduled to testify before the National Audit Office of the Civil Rights Commission scheduled for the 19th.
The adoption of witnesses was promoted by People Power Party lawmaker Choi Seung-jae. Attorney Kim claimed that Mr. A received an unfair award from the Civil Rights Commission in a press conference held through Representative Choi Seung-jae’s office last June.
Mr A is a businessman who Jung Joon-young asked to recover his mobile phone in 2016. He kept KakaoTalk content and photos separate for about three years, and when the ‘Burning Sun Gate’ started in early 2019, Bang’s lawyer used Jeong-hyun as his representative and submitted the files to the Civil Rights Commission. Content submitted. After receiving the report, the Civil Rights Commission asked the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office to investigate, and in September 2020, Jung Joon-young was sentenced to five years in prison by the Supreme Court on charges including gang rape. In 2021, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission paid Mr A 50 million won as a ‘public interest reporting reward’.
Regarding this, Attorney Kim argued, “Former Chairman Jeon Hyun-hee reviewed Mr. A in an unusually short period of time and took protective measures by designating him as a public interest reporter,” adding, “The person who provided illegal data was designated. as a public interest reporter.” Attorney Kim said, “Mr. A said it was a violation of the Information and Communications Network Act, but the people involved in this case were punished on charges of prostitution, etc.” He added, “Initially, sexual crimes were not included in the act of violating public welfare, but the public interest reporter proposed by (Democratic Party of Korea) Representative Ahn Min-seok “With the passage of the amendment to’ r the Defense Act, Mr A received the award,” he said. At the same time, he said, “Mr A planned with Chairman Jeon and received the prize money.”
In response to this, Chairman Jeon countered, saying, “The case of payment of awards to the Civil Rights Commission is decided through strict legal procedures,” and “There is no room for the Chairman of the Civil Rights Commission to interfere in this process . “
The Civil Rights Commission also stated, “Because the decision to pay the award is a dual decision-making structure where the decision is made by the full committee after discussion and a decision by the Compensation Negotiating Committee, it cannot even the age of the head of the organization exerts influence. .”
In relation to this, an official from Assemblyman Choi’s office said, “Mr A is not a victim of the incident, and is not even directly involved,” and added, “I hope this will be an opportunity to ask why that such a person can receive an award simply because he is a public interest reporter.”
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