(October 26, 2024) The current appeal trial panel for the tablet defamation case, which has led to Media Watch CEO Byun Hee Jae’s push for political asylum in the U.S., has temporarily halted its aggressive measures under Judges Um Cheol, Lee Hoon Jae, and Yang Ji Jeong. As a result, the attempt by Yoon Suk Yeol’s prosecution to revoke Byun’s bail and re-detain him also appears to have failed for now. Tablet appeal trial panel postpones Byun Hee Jae’s questioning and final sentencing On the October 25th, 2024, the Criminal Appeal Division 4-2(b) of the Seoul Central District Court, overseeing
(October 13, 2024) Byun Hee-jae, CEO of Media Watch, declared conditional political asylum in the United States after participating in a candlelight protest and a rally for the resignation of Yoon Seok-yeol in front of the Los Angeles Consulate General on the 12th at 11 a.m. PST (4 a.m. on the 13th KST). He urged, “President Yoon Seok-yeol and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won must confess to their tablet manipulation.” Byun Hee-jae stated, “Even though it has been widely known for two weeks that I could seek political asylum in the U.S. while on my honeymoon, the National Intelligence Service st
(September 13, 2024) MediaWatch CEO Byun Hee-Jae has requested the court to thoroughly investigate the issue of when the “L-shaped lock pattern” was set on the ‘Choi Soon-Sil tablet,’ which is a key matter in determining how the tablet was obtained. He argued that, given the current situation where the prosecution has failed to present any relevant forensic evidence, it is meaningless to assess the probability of the tablet’s acquisition as claimed by the JTBC broadcasting company being true. On the 12th, CEO Byun Hee-Jae, in his opinion letter submitted to the tablet defamation appeals court,
(August 23, 2024) During the Tablet libel appeal trial, the court rejected the defendant’s motion to reopen the investigation into key evidence, prompting the defendants to walk out of the courtroom and refuse to stand trial. The court proceeded to hold a separate hearing for two bystanders who voiced their dissent over the ruling, throwing the entire case into turmoil. At 3:30 p.m. on August 22, the 13th hearing of the Tablet defamation appeal took place at the Seoul Central District Court (Criminal Case Litigation Division 4-2 Na), presided over by Judges Um Chul, Lee Hoon-jae, and Yang Ji-j
(May 5, 2024) The tampering of JTBC's Choi Soon-sil tablet, a critical piece of evidence in the downfall of former President Park Geun-hye and her subsequent 22-year prison sentence, has now been definitively proven. Initially, JTBC broadcasters, tampered with the L-shaped lock pattern on the original Choi Soon-sil tablet device they obtained in late 2016. Special Prosecutors Yoon Seok-yeol and Han Dong-hoon followed suit and tampered with the L-shaped lock pattern on the second Choi Soon-sil tablet device, which they obtained from Jang Shi-ho in early 2017. They then falsely attributed the ta
(May 3, 2024) After a prolonged hiatus due to disputes over the assessment of tablet devices and the copying of imaging files, the criminal trial involving the JTBC tablet report defamation case is set to recommence nearly two years later. The Criminal Division 4-2 of the Seoul Central District Court of Appeals, led by Judges Lee Tae-woo, Lee Hoon-jae, and presiding judge Yang Ji-jung, has issued a summons to the defendants, including Byun Hee-jae, Hwang Ui-won, Lee Woo-hee, and Oh Moon-young, scheduling the 12th trial for May 30 at 3 p.m. in Courtroom 422 of the Seoul Central District Court's
[Editor's note] This report was written in English in November 2023 to brief "Korea Watcher" analysts and journalists in the Anglo-American sphere on Yoon Suk-yeok and Han Dong-hoon's tablet manipulation investigation, a treasonous crime committed by South Korean prosecutors. ‘Choi Soon-sil tablet’ Fabrication Issue:Swapping Tablet User by Doctoring Carrier Contracts The “Choi Soon-sil Tablet” is not a computer but a mobile phone device, which, as revealed by JTBC and the prosecution, was activated on June 22, 2012, under the name of Kim Han-soo (CEO of Ma:rei Company in 2012 and former Blue H
[Editor's note] This report was written in English in November 2023 to brief "Korea Watcher" analysts and journalists in the Anglo-American sphere on Yoon Suk-yeok and Han Dong-hoon's tablet manipulation investigation, a treasonous crime committed by South Korean prosecutors. 'Choi Soon-sil Tablet' Device Created by JTBC in Collusion with ProsecutorsDistorting the results of the National Forensic Service's Examination Results On November 27, 2017, JTBC broadcasted a segment on the ‘Choi Soon-sil Tablet’ titled “Prosecution claims "No Tablet Manipulation, Modification...Defies Manipulation Rumo
[Editor's note] This report was written in English in November 2023 to brief "Korea Watcher" analysts and journalists in the Anglo-American sphere on Yoon Suk-yeok and Han Dong-hoon's tablet manipulation investigation, a treasonous crime committed by South Korean prosecutors. Yoon Seok-yeol and Han Dong-hoon's'Choi Soon-sil's Second Tablet PC' Fabrication Investigation(Content of fabrication) 1. Fabrication of the tablet PC activation The owner of a mobile carrier store falsely testified that Choi Seo-won (Choi Soon-sil) visited his store to activate the device. 2. Fabrication of tablet PC acq
[Editor's note] This report was written in English in November 2023 to brief "Korea Watcher" analysts and journalists in the Anglo-American sphere on Yoon Suk-yeok and Han Dong-hoon's tablet manipulation investigation, a treasonous crime committed by South Korean prosecutors. Yoon Seok-yeol and Han Dong-hoon'sFabrication of "Choi Soon-sil Tablet PC"Used in Park Geun-hye's Impeachment(Timeline) On October 24, 2016, the JTBC broadcaster reported a scoop that a private citizen named Choi Seo-won (Choi Soon-sil) had intervened in state affairs behind President Park Geun-hye's back. As evidence, th
(November 22, 2023) As Byun Hee-jae, CEO of MediaWatch, filed a damages lawsuit against Yoon Seok-yeol, Han Dong-hoon, and others in connection with the so-called 'Tablet Manipulation Investigation', the court has begun investigating the case. The court accepted the 'subpoena duces tecum' filed by Byun and sent a request to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on the 17th. A subpoena duces tecum is one of the methods of evidence investigation used by civil courts. Evidentiary investigations include witness interviews, fact-finding, document requests, and document production orders. A
(November 9, 2023) The first trial of the damages lawsuit filed by Byun Hee-jae, CEO of Media Watch, against President Yoon Seok-yeol and Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon in connection with the investigation into the fabrication of the "Second Choi Soon-sil Tablet" (the tablet submitted by Jang Shi-ho to the special prosecutor) was held at 10 a.m. on the 9th in Courtroom 479, Dongwan, Seoul Central District Court. In July of this year, Byun Hee-jae filed a lawsuit for damages totaling 150 million won against President Yoon, Justice Minister Han, 2nd Assistant Chief Prosecutor Park Joo-sung of th
(August 8, 2023) On March 17, prosecutors filed a request to revoke the bail of Byun Hee-jae, Head of Media Watch. It was later confirmed that the reason for the request was a rally Byun held to criticize Yoon Seok-yeol and Han Dong-hoon. Criticisms are expected to intensify as the prosecution abuses its authority to shield the incumbent administration from investigation. On the 8th, Lee Dong-hwan, an attorney representing Media Watch, including Byun Hee-jae, sent us a document titled "Request to Revoke Bail and Confiscate Deposit of Defendant Byun Hee-jae" signed by Prosecutor Sung Jin-young