Kim Rahn is the managing editor of The Korea Times. Since joining the company in 2003, she has covered various beats including the presidential office, Seoul city government, the Bank of Korea and the tourism industry. In 2014, she won the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) award for her coverage of the ordeals of migrant women in Korea.
Prosecutor admits judge asked her to indict blogger
By Kim Rahn
A female prosecutor had notified her successor that a judge asked her to indict a blogger who was critical of his wife, the ruling Saenuri Party’s former Seoul mayoral candidate Na Kyung-won.
Police plan to summon the judge, Kim Jae-ho at the Seoul Eastern District Court, for questioning.
According to police and the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office, Thursday, Park Eun-jung at Bucheon Prosecutors’ Office said in a statement she submitted to police Monday that Kim had asked her to indict the blogger in late 2005.
Na filed a complaint for defamation citing unfavorable comments written about her on the Internet. Park referred the case to her successor, prosecutor Choi Young-un, in January 2006 as she had to take maternity leave.
According to the written account, Kim told her if she indicted the blogger, the court would then “handle” the case.
Park also said when she handed the case over to Choi, she let him know about Kim’s request by attaching a note on the case documents which said: “The case for which Judge Kim Jae-ho called.”
Choi indicted the blogger in April 2006, and the blogger was fined by the Supreme Court in December. SisaIN reporter Choo Chin-woo talked about Kim’s alleged pressure on Park in a podcast last October, and Na and Kim filed a defamation complaint against him for spreading “false rumors.”
Police plan to summon Kim for questioning next week, but said even if his alleged pressure is confirmed, he might not be tried for abusing his authority because the five-year statute of limitations has expired.
But he may be accused of defamation as Choo filed a counter complaint against Na and Kim. Police are also looking into how Choo learned about the alleged solicitation. They sent written questions to him late last month after he refused to appear before them four times.
In the meantime, Na said she would not run in the upcoming parliamentary elections, saying she does not agree with the way the ruling Saenuri Party is picking its candidates. She denied her husband’s alleged solicitation.