Byun Hee-jae's 2-year prison sentence finalized

Byun Hee-jae, CEO of Media Watch, has had his two-year prison sentence definitively confirmed. The Supreme Court, on February 12, rejected Byun's appeal, upholding the guilty verdict from the lower court.

Byun was put on trial on charges of spreading false information through publications such as the book 'Son Suk-hee's Curse' and articles in Media Watch, alleging that JTBC, in collusion with former Cheong Wa Dae administrative officer Kim Han-soo, obtained a tablet PC, fabricated its files, and reported it as if Choi Seo-won had used it. The first-instance court found Byun guilty, stating that his side failed to provide concrete evidence to support claims regarding the acquisition of the tablet PC, its contents, and its user. The court sentenced him to two years in prison. It noted that despite the increased demand for fairness in reporting given the widespread and rapid dissemination capabilities of online media, Byun repeatedly spread false information without minimal fact-checking.

The appellate trial concluded last December, seven years after the first-instance ruling. The proceedings were delayed, partly due to Byun's request for the recusal of judges. Byun, who had been released on bail during the trial, was taken into custody upon the sentencing by the appellate court. The second-instance ruling was the same as the first: two years in prison.

The Supreme Court did not accept Byun's appeal, finding no errors in the lower court's proceedings that affected the ruling. Despite the Supreme Court's decision, Byun's side filed for a retrial with the Constitutional Court on the 10th. They argue that their right to a fair trial was violated because the court repeatedly dismissed requests for essential evidence, such as clarifying the tablet PC's actual user and whether data was manipulated, without reasonable grounds.