Prosecutors seek 3-year sentence for prosecutor’s office investigator over leak in late Lee Sun Kyun drug probe

In a trial over the alleged leak of investigative information related to the late actor Lee Sun Kyun, prosecutors have requested a three-year prison sentence for a prosecutor’s office investigator accused of the breach.

During the final hearing on June 12 at Incheon District Court, Criminal Division 14 (Judge Gong Woo Jin presiding), prosecutors sought a three-year term for Investigator 'A' of the Incheon District Prosecutors’ Office, who has been indicted on charges including official secrecy violations.

The prosecution argued, “While the defendant has made statements appearing to acknowledge certain facts, he claims he only heard rumors and denies key aspects of the circumstances.” They added, “At the time the investigative information was leaked, rumors were widespread, and the defendant’s claim that he heard it multiple times from various unidentified individuals conflicts with testimony from colleagues who worked with him.”

They further stated, “The defendant initially denied part of the charges but later changed his testimony after being presented with contradictory evidence. He also replaced his mobile phone, which suggests an attempt to destroy evidence, and has continued to offer implausible explanations in court.”

In closing arguments, the defense for 'A' argued, “The defendant acknowledges wrongdoing and regrets causing controversy as a public official, and he accepts the factual basis of the charges. However, he was not the investigator in charge of the case and only came across the information incidentally, so he should not be considered a personal data handler under the law.”

In his final statement, 'A' said, “I treated it lightly as an interesting piece of celebrity gossip at the time, and I am ashamed that I failed to maintain the caution expected of a public official. I sincerely apologize to those who were affected by my actions.”

'A' was indicted for allegedly passing internal police investigative information regarding drug-related suspicions involving Lee Sun Kyun to a local newspaper reporter in the Gyeonggi region in October 2023.

At the time, Lee Sun Kyun was formally booked as a suspect that same month and underwent three police interrogations. He was later found dead on December 27, 2023.

Following the incident, the Incheon Metropolitan Police requested an investigation from the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency to trace the source of the leak. The agency raided the media outlet that first reported the story, as well as the Incheon District Prosecutors’ Office in 2024, and referred Investigator A and the journalist to prosecutors without detention.

However, prosecutors decided not to indict the journalist who received the information, concluding that the requirement of “illicit purpose” under the Personal Information Protection Act was not sufficiently established.

A sentencing hearing for Investigator 'A' is scheduled to take place at the same court on August 21.