Police raid state media watchdog agency over personal information leakage allegations

Investigators from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Department\'s Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit take away seized items after completing a raid at the Korea Broadcasting Commission at the Korea Broadcasting Center in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, on Friday. New Starpa and MBC recently reported allegations that Ryu Hee-rim mobilized family members and acquaintances to file complaints about New Starpa\'s \

Police raided the offices of the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) on January 15. The seizure and search was conducted in connection with an investigation requested by Ryu Hee-lim, head of the KCSC, who is facing allegations of mobilizing his family and acquaintances to file petitions with the commission to review the appropriateness of Newstapa's allegedly fabricated interview in 2021.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency sent about 10 investigators to the KCSC office in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, to conduct a raid and secure related data. It is reported that they checked the records of reading civil petitions in the petition handling system.

Kim Jun-hee, head of the KCSC’s media union, protested, saying, "Isn't the purpose of the seizure and search to find a public interest whistleblower?" and It is Ryu who should be searched for seizure."

In the background of the seizure and search, there is a suspicion of Ryu mobilizing his acquaintances to file petitions with the commission. When such information was reported, Ryu ordered the KCSC to conduct a special inspection, saying, "The leakage of personal information of civil petitioners is a criminal act," and asked the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office to punish the unnamed person who leaked personal information on December 27 last year.

Regarding the seizure and search, it is pointed out that public power is being mobilized to find out who may be a public interest whistleblower who should be protected by law. Criticisms of "selective investigation" have also been raised over the raid, which was conducted unusually quickly compared to the investigation into Ryu, who was accused of the allegations of asking his acquaintances to file civil petitions and the abuse of authority, which are major subjects of the case.

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.