Amid reports that the girlfriend of comedian Lee Jin-ho, who faces allegations of drunk driving, recently died, lawmakers have raised concerns in the National Assembly about the need for stricter protection of whistleblower identities.
During a National Assembly Administrative Safety Committee audit of the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency on the 21st, Rep. Park Deok-geum of the People Power Party asked, “Media reports identified the whistleblower in Lee Jin-ho’s drunk driving case as his girlfriend. The whistleblower ultimately died after enduring psychological pressure,” and questioned how the whistleblower’s information was leaked to the media.
Rep. Park emphasized, “Protecting the identity of whistleblowers is paramount,” adding, “How can anyone report wrongdoing if they fear retaliation or disadvantages?”
In response, Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency Chief Hwang Chang-seon stated, “The report in question was published by an entertainment media outlet,” and acknowledged, “While the exact leak path remains unverified, as pointed out, the disclosure of a whistleblower’s identity must never occur.”
Lee was referred to prosecutors on the 15th for allegedly driving approximately 100 km from Incheon to his residence in Yangpyeong while intoxicated in the early hours of September 24. His blood alcohol level at the time was 0.11%, exceeding the 0.08% threshold for license revocation. A subsequent analysis by the National Forensic Service, conducted upon Lee’s...
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