Prosecution Investigator Who Leaked Late Actor Lee Sun Kyun’s Case Information Receives Suspended Prison Sentence
A prosecution investigator who leaked confidential information about late actor Lee Sun Kyun’s drug investigation received a suspended prison sentence.
On September 18, Judge Gong Woo Jin of the Incheon District Court sentenced investigator “A,” who had been indicted without detention on charges including disclosure of official secrets, to one year in prison, suspended for two years. The court stated, “If information concerning individuals involved in an investigation is leaked, a suspect may destroy evidence or serious obstacles may arise in investigative authorities’ efforts to collect evidence.” It continued, “As an investigator working at the Incheon District Prosecutors’ Office, A obtained information related to the investigation. This constituted confidential information acquired through official duties, and therefore A is found guilty.”
During the trial, A denied the allegations, claiming, “Rumors had already spread internally within the prosecution, and I merely learned about them through other employees.” However, the court rejected the argument. The judge said, “By providing a reporter with multiple pieces of confidential investigative information, A seriously undermined public trust in law enforcement by state institutions.” The court also criticized A’s conduct after the offense, noting that the investigator replaced their mobile phone while the investigation was underway, describing it as an attempt to conceal evidence. However, the court also considered mitigating factors, including that A received no financial benefit, had worked as a prosecution investigator for 12 years without disciplinary action, had received commendations, and had no previous criminal record.
A was indicted for allegedly providing reporter “B” from a Gyeonggi-based daily newspaper with information on two occasions in October 2023 that Lee Sun Kyun was under preliminary police investigation for suspected drug use, along with details about the progress of the investigation. On October 19 that year, the media outlet published an exclusive report about a “top star, Mr. L, under investigation.” Lee Sun Kyun was subsequently summoned by police for questioning three times before being found dead inside a car on December 27, 2023.
Similar cases involving the disclosure of Lee Sun Kyun’s investigation information have also reached the courts. A former police officer indicted on comparable charges was sentenced in the first trial to one year and two months in prison, suspended for two years. Prosecutors appealed the ruling, and the case is currently being heard by an appellate court.
Sources: Nate