Two suspects behind a fake interview published in 2022 allegedly to discredit then presidential candidate Yoon Suk Yeol attended their arrest warrant hearing at a court Thursday. Earlier this week, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office requested warrants to detain Kim Man-bae, a journalist-turned-property developer, and journalist Shin Hak-lim, charging them with defamation, bribery, violation of anti-graft law, concealment of criminal proceeds and blackmail in connection with the fake interview and other cases. Kim, also a key suspect in the scandal-ridden Daejang-dong development project pushed in the mid-2010s by opposition leader Lee Jae-myung as the mayor of Seongnam, south of Seoul, is accused of falsely suggesting in his interview with Shin on Sept. 15, 2021, that Yoon was the mastermind of the development scandal. The interview was reported by online news outlet Newstapa on March 6, 2022, just three days before the presidential election in which Yoon and Lee competed, confusing voters. On S ept. 20, 2021, five days after the interview, Kim paid 165 million won (about US$120,000) to Shin allegedly in exchange for three copies of his book, which is seen by prosecutors as a bribe. Both Kim and Shin have denied any intention to influence the presidential election, saying the interview was just a private conversation. Source: Yonhap News Agency
Myanmar Clears Path for Junta Leader to Become President
March 30, 2026