Public Statement on the “Byun Hee-Jai and Tablet Trial” by Citizen Watchdog Group
2018-9-9, Byun Hee-jai and Tablet Trial Citizen Watchdog Group
The group calls for scientifically inspecting the controversial “tablet PC.” Although the statement came out on September 9, 2018, Byun Hee-Jai’s team continues to ask the judge for further discovery of the tablet, since that is key to his trial. The tablet PC story angered the public and led to candlelight protests calling for President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment. The following is the statement.
Public Statement
For Release 2018. 9. 9. (Sunday), Byun Hee-jai and Tablet Trial Citizen Watchdog Group
The court must not hold Byun Hee-jae on remand, and must accurately inspect the tablet PC as evidence. Why are the photos of Kim Han-soo’s daughter found on supposedly Choi Soon-sil’s work tablet PC? Photos of Kim Han-soo’s daughter were found on the Tablet PC. Kim is the former executive officer of the Blue House.
■ Distorted reports of the mass media on the subject of the tablet PC made people of South Korea feel betrayed and angry at Park Geun-hye administration. The impeachment of former president Park Geun-hye would have been impossible if it weren’t for the JTBC’s reports on Choi Soon-sil’s (her legal name is Choi Suh-Won) Tablet PC. Reports on Choi’s tablet left the whole nation in shock, because they were essentially what confirmed the existence of the hidden authority behind the government. The case centered around Choi’s monopoly of the government had a decisive effect on the impeachment and the verdict of guilty of the former president. However, what happens if it turns out that the tablet PC did not belong to Choi Soon-sil?
■ People of South Korea have the right to know exactly to whom the tablet PC belongs. On October 19, 2016, JTBC reported, “Choi always keeps the tablet PC with her, and she corrects the speeches using that tablet.” On the 24th, they aired a special broadcast on the subject of ‘Choi Soon-sil’s PC files.’ The report that Choi received hundreds of classified government documents and that she “used a lot of red marks to correct the Dresden speech” infuriated the whole nation. As many as 607 reports came out from JTBC about Choi’s tablet.
■ JTBC’s news corrections clarified nothing. It was the night of December 7, 2016, when Byun Hee-jai, representative of Mediawatch, raised a question about the authenticity of the reports on Choi’s tablet PC after he watched the hearing of Ko Young-tae who had testified that “Choi Soon-sil doesn’t even know how to use a tablet PC.” JTBC’s constant changing of its statements on how it obtained the tablet in the first place cast serious doubt on the veracity of its reports. The more it proceeded with its news corrections, the more suspicious its statements became. This is because JTBC’s later corrections were not sufficient to resolve Byun’s suspicions. It was not because Byun spread false information.
■ The prosecution requested a preliminary arrest warrant for Byun Hee-jai, the day after the National Forensic Service testified in court that they never confirmed the owner of the tablet PC as Choi Soon-sil. On May 23, 2018, Na Gi-heyon, a National Forensic Service official responsible for the assessment of the tablet PC evidence, appeared in court as a witness. When the defense asked him whether the National Forensic Service ever confirmed the tablet PC as Choi Soon-sil’s, he answered ‘no.’ According to him, it was impossible to scientifically pinpoint the owner of the tablet as Choi. In that case, what is one supposed to think of over 600 reports from JTBC on this subject? Why is the prosecution, right after the National Forensic Service’s testimony, holding Byun on remand instead of investigating JTBC?
■ Even after the arrest of Byun Hee-jae, crucial evidence and circumstances are being discovered. In particular, numerous photos of the daughter of Kim Han-soo, who activated the tablet and paid the bills for it, were found on the tablet PC. How are his daughter’s photos found on Choi’s work tablet? Kim Han-soo had already testified in court that he never talked to Choi on Kakaotalk [a popular chat/voice app]. So why is the prosecution not considering the possibility that Kim Han-soo might just be the actual user of the tablet? At the time of JTBC’s special broadcast, Kim, who was the executive officer of the Blue House, was paying the bills for the tablet. Despite being suspected of misconduct, Kim remains to be the only person from Choi’s close circle who was not investigated. He is currently in hiding.
■ The more the tablet PC is scientifically inspected, the more JTBC is withdrawing their original statements. On July 26, 2018, Son Yong-suk, a journalist for JTBC, appeared before Korea Communications Standards Commission and claimed that the JTBC Newsroom never reported conclusively that Choi corrected the president’s speech on the tablet or that she was the sole user of the tablet. After all this time, JTBC is blatantly contradicting their previous statements. So why is it that Byun, who raised a question about the tablet, has to be imprisoned?
■ Byun declared that if the tablet is closely inspected and becomes scientifically proven to be Choi’s, he would gladly accept any punishment. The prosecution and Byun are arguing over the identity of the actual user of the tablet. The court must reveal the truth. Yet the presiding judge, Park Ju-young, is ignoring Byun’s request to inspect the tablet. She didn’t even accept his request to check Kim’s arrival/departure records and to check his previous locations through his wireless service provider.
■ The inspection of the tablet would be the most scientific way to discover the truth, and no one will be able to question the result of the inspection. It would probably be the easiest and the fastest way to find out who was the actual user of the tablet. The court should stop hesitating and accept Byun’s request to scientifically inspect the tablet PC. Besides, it is such an embarrassment to the rest of the world that South Korea, where freedom of speech is a basic right, has imprisoned a journalist during a trial. The arrest of Byun effectively makes our country one of few nations among all the OECD countries that holds a journalist on remand. The court needs to release Byun immediately, and proceed with the trial without detaining him.
■ One tried to shut Galileo Galilei’s mouth, but it did not change the fact that the Earth revolves around the Sun. One can shut Byun’s mouth, but it won’t change the truth regarding the tablet PC.
2018. 9. 10. Intellectuals solidarity for Inspection of the Tablet PC & for the Release of Byun
11 Reasons why the tablet PC does not belong to Choi Suh-won:
- 1) An abnormally huge number (24) of fabricated reports of JTBC and its frequent change of statements
- 2) National Forensics Service’s conclusion that one cannot pinpoint any specific user
- 3) Professor Lee Sang-jin’s conclusion that one cannot pinpoint any specific user
- 4) The fact that Kim Han-soo is the person who activated the tablet and who paid the bills for it
- 5) Contrived circumstances surrounding the discovery of the tablet – “On the desk of Ko Young-tae, at the The Blue K office”
- 6) Testimonies from many people that they never saw Choi using the tablet (testimonies were done in real names)
- 7) 53 photos of Kim Soo-min, an acquaintance of Kim Hui-jong, saved on the tablet
- 8) The web-browsing history that doesn’t match the interests of a woman in her 60s (Choi)
- 9) Kakaotalk message written in an unusually formal, respectful manner to Lee Byung-hun, who is said to be “like a nephew” to Choi
- 10) The email account under the name ‘Yu-nee’ (the name of Lee Byung-hun’s child) and ‘Ga-eun’ (the name of Kim Hui-jong’s daughter)
- 11) Many photos of Kim Han-soo’s daughter found on the tablet
* Refer to the ‘Inquiry into Tablet PC Fabrication’ (Trial Evidence No.1)
<The list of intellectuals who signed the statement>
Kang Kyuhyeong (former KBS director), Kang Naeju (pastor), Kang Seokjung (pastor), Kang Sunyoung (pastor), Kang Shinhak (pastor), Kang Yeonja (pastor), Kang Yongsuk (lawyer), Kang Yongju (pastor), Kang Euiseok (movie director), Go Youngju (former chief director of the Foundation for Broadcast Culture), Kwak Ilcheon (principal), Kwak Jeongsun (pastor), Kwon Ki-ung (pastor), Kwon Bok-kwon (chairman of ‘Veteran Air Force Officer’s Association) Kim Kyeongjae (former congressman), Kim Gyeonghye (Representative of Society for Future Education), Kim Kisoo (lawyer), Kim Munsoo (former governor of Gyeonggi-do), Kim Munhee (honorary president of Culture and Art Association for Dokdo), Kim Misook (Representative of Jeanne d’Arc TV), Kim Miyoung (VON News representative), Kim Se-eui (Representative of Garosero Institution), Kim Sihwan (executive advisor of Taegukgi People’s Council), Kim Youngsu (Gyeongnam Women’s Newspaper representative), Kim Okja (pastor), Kim Yongsam (former Monthly Chosun editor), Kim Eunjin (pastor), Kim Ildoo(Representative of Patriotic High School Students’ Union), Kim Ilsun (Representative of Taeguki People Council), Kim Changjin (former chairman of Incheon Elementary School Association), Kim Takgi (chairman of Veteran Patriotic Association of Air-Force Academy), Kim Piljae (KimPiljae TV representative), Namgung Hosam (director of Namgung Clinic), Nam Bongun (lawyer), Do Taewoo (lawyer), Doo Youngtaek (Kwangju Women’s Univ. professor), Ryu Seokchun (Yonsei Univ. professor), Park Geunryeong (former chief director of Yookyoung Foundation), Park Boochul (executive advisor of World Taekwondo Federation), Park Sanghoo (former MBC deputy director), Park Seonghyun (Esunbun representative), Park Sookja (chairman of Veteran Patriotic Association of Korea Armed Forces Nursing Academy), Park Inhwan (former Konkuk Univ. professor), Park Jungsoo (permanent representative of Union of Freedom and Democracy), Park Jongra (co-representative of National Parents’ Union), Park Jonghwa chairman of Patriotic Union), Park Jooyeon (journalist for FutureKorea), Park Joohyun (lawyer), Park Junsik (secretary general of Union of Freedom and Democracy), Park Hanmyeong (chairman of policy committee of Media Union), Park Hun (pastor), Park Huido (former chief of staff of the Army), Seo Gyeongsuk (People’s Movement for New Korea’s chairman), Sung Changyeong (KBS * Refer to the ‘Inquiry into Tablet PC Fabrication’ (Trial Evidence No.1)- 6 -chairman of Public Union), Son Sangyun (chairman of Newstown), Son Hyosuk (Freedom College representative), Shin Baekhun (Harmonyship TV’s representative), Yang Seong-oh (Secion chief at Dongnam Inst. of Radiological & Medical Sciences), Yang Heejun (pastor), Yum Suntae (Court Story TV’s representative), Yum Ansup (director of Sudong Yonsei Nursing Hospital), Oh Sangjong (Freedom Guard for Korea’s representative), Oh Yeonguk (representative of Daegu Taeguki Rally), Oh Youngha (professor of Hanyang Univ. College of Medicine), Woo Jongchang (journalist for Truth and Lie), Yoo Jinyoo (former chairman of the Federation of Korean Associations chairman), Yoo Haebin (representative of New Foundation of Korea), Yun Myeongwon (Union for Freedom and Patriots’s representative), Yun Changjung (representative of Yun Changjung’s Colum World), Yun Chihwan (pastor), Lee Gyeongja (co-representative of National Parents Union), Lee Gyeongjae (lawyer), Lee Gyesung (representative of Association of Catholics to Protect Korea), Lee Gumok (director of the Korea Culture Center of Youth & Parents), Lee Daehun (chairman of Veteran Associaion of Korea Military Academy), Lee Mansup (missionary), Lee Minse (former Yeungnam Univ. College professor), Lee Bumchan (Gachon Univ. professor), Lee Bogil (chairman of the Korea Broadcasting News Association), Lee Sangro (Member of the Korea Communications Standards Commission), Lee Sangho (lawyer), Lee Seokbok (former chief of staff of ROK/US Combined Forces Command), Lee Eran (director of Society for Freedom Unification), Lee Younghun (principal of Syngman Rhee School), Lee Yongsik (professor of Konkuk Uni. College of Medecine), Lee Wooyun (researcher at Naksungdae Institute of Economic Research), Lee Woohyun (chairman of Veteran Patriotic ROTC Associaion), Lee Wonhong (former minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism), Lee ChuChun (former professor at Wonkwang Univ.), Lee Jinkwang (chief executive of Newdaily), Lee Hwayoung (pastor), Lee Heemun (pastor), Lee Heebum (representative for Freedom Union), Ihm Jeongdo (vice-chairman of Korea Broadcasting News Association), Jang Gwanghun (chairman of Patriotic Union of Veteran Korean Soldiers), Jang Youngmin (visiting journalist for Truth and Lie), Jang Jaewon (lawyer), Jang Hosuk (military critic), Jeon Gyeongwong (journalist for Newdaily), Jeon Yunsun (civic activist for Taegukgi Assembly), Jeon Jangsu (composer), Jeong Gyujae (publisher at Pennmike), Jeong Sungsan (director), Jeong Angee (former Korea Univ. research professor of economics), Jeong Yeontae (corepresentative of Mobile Politics Union), Cho Gapjae (representative of Chogabje.com), Cho Dongeun (Myongji Univ. professor), Cho Bongrae (chairman of Veteran Association of Korea Naval Academy), Cho Sunghwan (Kyonggi Univ. professor), Cho Younghwan (Allinkorea representative), Cho Woosuk (former KBS director), Cho Wonryeong (lawyer), Cho Chungyeol (Andongdaily representative), Chu Dongsik (The Third Way’s editor), Chu Oksun (Mother Warriors’ representative), Jee Manwan (System Club’s representative), Cha Guihwan (lawyer), Cha Sunghwan (management consultant), Chae Myeongsung (lawyer), – 7 -Choi Deokhyo (Korea Human Rights News representative), Choi Deokjin (former Korea Nazarene Univ. professor), Choi Myungjin (pastor), Choi Su-gyeong (Gulmadang representative), Choi Janggyu (Veteran Association of Marine Officers’s chairman), Ha Sukgyeong (Women’s Union representative), Han Jeongseok (editor of FutureKorea), Heo Pyeonghwan (former defense security commander), Hyun Miyong (pastor), Hong Hyeong (chief editor of Daily Unification)
