Prosecution Investigator Given Suspended Prison Sentence for Leaking Lee Sunkyun Investigation Information

Incheon Court Sentences Investigator to One Year in Prison, Suspended for Two Years
Leaked Status of Investigation to Local Newspaper Reporter

A prosecution investigator who leaked information about the investigation into late actor Lee Sun-kyun, who had been under police investigation on suspicion of drug use before his death, was sentenced to a suspended prison term.

According to Yonhap News on September 18, Incheon District Court's Criminal Division 14 (presided over by Judge Gong Woojin) sentenced Investigator A (age 45) from the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office to one year in prison, suspended for two years, on charges including leakage of official secrets.

Investigator A was indicted on charges of informing a local newspaper reporter twice in October 2023 that Lee was under police investigation for drug use, as well as about the progress of that investigation. The media outlet in question published an exclusive story titled "Top Star L Under Internal Investigation for Drug Allegations" on October 19, 2023. After the leak of investigation information was exposed, Investigator A was suspended from duty.

The court stated, "If information related to persons involved in an investigation is leaked, suspects may destroy evidence or there could be hindrances to law enforcement agencies collecting evidence," and added, "The defendant denied the charges, saying 'rumors had already spread internally within the prosecution,' but this information was obtained while serving as a prosecution investigator and falls under duties related to the investigation."

However, regarding the charges of violating the Personal Information Protection Act and the Act on the Promotion of Digitalization of Criminal Judicial Procedures, the court judged that there was no connection to the defendant's work, and that the evidence submitted by investigative agencies was illegally collected, leading to a verdict of not guilty. Still, the court noted, "Even though the defendant was found not guilty of violating the Personal Information Protection Act and the Act on the Promotion of Digitalization of Criminal Judicial Procedures, this does not meaningfully affect sentencing."

Explaining the reasons for sentencing, the court said, "By providing investigation information to a reporter, the defendant undermined public trust in law enforcement by state agencies, and further, attempted to conceal evidence by replacing his personal mobile phone during the investigation, which is considered highly improper conduct after the crime." However, the court also took into account that the defendant had been awarded commendations during 12 years of service as a prosecution investigator and that this was his first offense. Previously, prosecutors had requested a three-year prison term at the sentencing hearing held on June 12.

Meanwhile, separately from Investigator A, a former police officer who was indicted on charges of leaking Lee's investigation information was sentenced to one year and two months in prison, suspended for two years, in a first trial in December of last year. That case is now under appeal following the prosecution's challenge.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.