A former police officer who leaked investigative information related to the late actor Lee Sun Gyun’s drug use case has received a suspended prison sentence.
On December 17th KST, Judge Kim Saet Byeol of the Incheon District Court Criminal Division 11 sentenced a former police officer in his 30s, identified as A, to one year and two months in prison, suspended for two years, on charges including disclosure of official secrets. The court also ordered 80 hours of community service.
In addition, journalist B, who was charged with passing the leaked information on to another reporter, was fined 5 million KRW.
The court stated, “A disclosed investigative personal information on two occasions, and B committed an act that undermined public trust by passing the received information on to another journalist. The gravity of their crimes is not light.”
However, the court added, “Both defendants admitted to their offenses, and the leaks do not appear to have caused substantial obstruction to the investigation. A was dismissed from his job after 10 years of service, and B received disciplinary action at work. Taking into account petitions for leniency submitted by acquaintances, the court determined the sentence accordingly.”
A is accused of photographing and leaking a report detailing the progress of the investigation into Lee Sun Gyun’s drug allegations to two reporters in October 2023. The leaked report was prepared on October 18, 2023, by the narcotics investigation unit of the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency, and contained personal information including the names, criminal records, identities, and occupations of individuals involved in the case.
Journalist B is charged with forwarding the investigative materials received from A to another journalist he was acquainted with. An entertainment media outlet that received the materials from B published edited images and content from the report on December 28, 2023, the day after Lee Sun Gyun’s death.
After being dismissed from the police force, A filed a lawsuit against the commissioner of the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency seeking to overturn the dismissal. However, he lost both the first trial and the appellate ruling last month.
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