hankyoreh

while The Hankyoreh insists it has evidence to back up the reports that were published.

An agent of the National Intelligence Service was caught telephoning a judge in charge of a lawsuit filed by President Lee Myung-bak against The Hankyoreh in order to ascertain the progress of the case. The NIS’s attempt to intervene in a lawsuit, in which the president is the plaintiff, has set off a political storm throughout the nation.

During the trial at the Seoul Central District Court on July 3, Judge Kim Tae-gyun told an NIS agent, identified only as Kim, that it was not appropriate for the NIS to have called to inquire about the case. A few days before the trial opened, Kim had called the judge to ask about its progress. When the judge asked his identity, he hung up.

About 10 minutes after the trial started, the NIS agent entered the courtroom. When the judge asked him to identify himself, he hesitated, and when the judge asked if he was a reporter, he answered, “Yes.” The judge then demanded that he present his ID card, which confirmed his identity as an NIS agent.

The agent then asked to speak to the judge after the trial, but the judge denied his request. Judge Kim then instructed Jo Gyeong-gu, the president’s attorney, to stop the agent from calling him again. The NIS agent is reportedly part of a special team of agents who gather information in Seoul’s Seocho neighborhood, where the district court is located.

Regarding this, a judge at the Seoul Central District Court not involved with the case said, “I have never imaged or heard of an incident in which an NIS employee called a judge to ask about a case. This kind of situation could damage the court’s reputation for fairness.”

Jo says that the Blue House wants to continue to pursue the two libel suits it filed against The Hankyoreh, both of which have to do with reports published by the newspaper during the presidential campaign. He requested that the court arbitrate a settlement, saying it was what the president wanted.

Judge Kim responded to Jo’s request by saying, “In a situation in which the two sides are unable to reach agreement, the court’s fairness will be called into question if it were to recommend arbitrating a settlement.”

The president says that The Hankyoreh’s coverage of the BBK case during the presidential election was based on false allegations, while The Hankyoreh insists it has the evidence to back up its reports. BBK is the name of a now-defunct asset management firm and in the case named after the company, President Lee faced allegations of stock price manipulation and other charges. The case was a major issue surrounding Lee’s election last December, and allegations of his involvement followed him until just before his inauguration, when an independent counsel cleared Lee of all charges.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]