SBS decided to dismiss a lawyer who has been defending the sexual violence case of Jeong Myung-seok, CEO of the Christian Gospel Mission (JMS), after finding out that he was in charge of legal advice such as "I Want to Know It" (hereinafter "The Al").
SBS told MBN Star on the afternoon of the 8th, "SBS did not know that lawyer Lee was involved in JMS," adding, "He was appointed as the executive branch of the Korean Bar Association at the time."
The public interest program advisory group commissioned by the Korean Bar Association is in charge of legal advice and legal support when requested by the victim, he added. "Victims who appeared on JMS-related broadcasts did not ask for legal advice."
In addition, he pointed out that there was no relationship at all with JMS broadcasting, saying, "And I understand that the lawyer did not play a special support role during the consultation period." "JMS victims and related broadcasts cannot be exposed to the legal advisory group," he said. "SBS has decided to dismiss JMS-related advisory lawyers."
It has been confirmed that one of the lawyers defending Jung Myung-seok, the president of the Christian Gospel Mission (JMS), in a sexual violence case, has been serving as a lawyer for SBS's current affairs accusation program and news legal advice for at least six years.
Seoul Broadcasting System(SBS)'s "Unanswered Questions" has been investigating allegations of sexual violence by Jung Myung-seok several times from the 1990s to this year. This has sparked controversy, as JMS's lawyer is in charge of identifying the coverage of the current affairs accusation program and facing the victim in the worst case.
According to a report by Maeil Economy on the 8th, six lawyers were appointed as advisors to SBS's public interest program at the recommendation of the Korean Bar Association in June 2020. Among them, lawyer A, Jung Myung-seok's lawyer, was included.
Initially, his term was two years, but at the request of SBS, the term of six lawyers, including lawyer A, was extended once last year. Accordingly, the term of attorney A's SBS advisory lawyer has been extended to next year.
The issue is that if a JMS victim and others report to SBS, lawyer A can directly or indirectly grasp the coverage, or he can directly contact the JMS victim.
In fact, based on this year's coverage that SBS wants to know, on the 22nd of last month, "JMS, how did Jung Myung-seok in Dalbakgol become the leader?"I aired an episode.
Lawyer A has been confirmed to be closely related to JMS to the extent that he has been defending Jung Myung-seok for at least six years. Lawyer A served alone as a lawyer for Law Firm B in a trial related to the attachment of an electronic anklet to Jeong Myung-seok, who was imprisoned in October 2017 for the "primary goddess sexual violence case."
At that time, lawyer A submitted a total of four references or opinions to the court. However, in November of that year, the court decided to attach an electronic anklet, and Jung Myung-seok was released from prison in February of the following year with an electronic anklet.
Lawyer A is also alone in charge of lawyer B's law firm in the second and third sexual violence complaint cases against Jeong Myung-seok, which began last year. He has been a lawyer since last year in connection with the second sexual violence trial of Jung Myung-seok, which was sued by all foreign believers, including Hong Kong national Maple.
SBS decided to dismiss lawyer A from the public interest program advisory lawyer in response to criticism. SBS said in a statement, "We have decided to dismiss an advisory lawyer related to JMS."
The fact that lawyer A was serving as an advisory lawyer for SBS, while also defending JMS, has sparked controversy. It has raised questions about the independence and impartiality of SBS's investigation into allegations of sexual violence by JMS, and whether there has been any undue influence or interference in the coverage of the case.
Overall, this situation highlights the importance of transparency and accountability in media investigations, especially those related to sensitive and controversial issues such as sexual violence. It also underscores the need for strong ethical standards and safeguards to prevent conflicts of interest and ensure the integrity of journalistic practices.
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