It was reported on the 28th that Kang Chang-ho (52), who first reported the ‘economic feasibility manipulation of Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1’ incident, and the union leader of Saeul 1 Power Plant at Saeul Nuclear Power Plant Headquarters of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., was recognized as a ‘public interest reporter’, but was relieved of his position and faced a criminal trial. .
Mr. Kang was indicted on charges of trespassing into the office and violating the Personal Information Protection Act in November last year. Previously, in January 2020, when Kang accused 11 people, including officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Corporation, on charges of breach of trust in connection with the economic feasibility manipulation case of Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1, the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Corporation in February of the same year accused Kang of “defaming the company’s reputation.” He was relieved of his position and suspended from work. In December 2020, when Mr. Kang was banned from entering the office, the prosecution charged him with trespassing into the office when he entered the KHNP office and printed out the ‘Removed Persons Report’ and ‘Daily Attendance Statement’ from another employee’s computer. In addition, the prosecution viewed Kang’s provision of the indictment on the economic feasibility manipulation case of Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 in January 2022 to KHNP union members as a violation of the Personal Information Protection Act. The company requested the police to investigate, which led to the prosecution’s indictment.
Kang’s first trial is scheduled to be held on the 2nd of next month. His lawyer is arguing that “the trespassing part of the office does not constitute a crime.” In May 2022, the Seoul Administrative Court ruled to cancel KHNP’s dismissal of Kang’s position and suspension from work. “Mr. Kang’s public interest report did not damage the company’s reputation, but was made in the context of public interest.” This ruling was confirmed by the Seoul High Court in February last year. The lawyer said, “The court’s ruling means that ‘the disciplinary action is invalid from the beginning,’ so Mr. Kang entered the office legally while being allowed to enter the office.”
Additionally, the defense attorney claims that Kang’s violation of the Personal Information Protection Act is not a crime. It is said that in the process of Mr. Kang filing a lawsuit to cancel KHNP’s disciplinary action, he obtained the indictment on the economic feasibility manipulation case of nuclear power plant Unit 1 and simply shared it with the KHNP union, which also participated in this lawsuit.
In a phone call with this newspaper, Mr. Kang said, “After filing a public interest report, I spent 200 million won on legal fees alone while fighting against the company’s retaliatory personnel actions.” He also said, “I think it is of no use even if the government recognizes me as a public interest reporter,” and added, “I want to tell people around me, ‘Never report for public interest.’” Mr. Kang plans to hold a press conference in front of the Ulsan District Court, where the first trial will be held, on the 2nd of next month and reveal his position on the ‘reality and measures for unprotected public interest reporters.’
Meanwhile, former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Paik Un-gyu and former Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Corporation President Jeong Jae-hoon were indicted on charges of abuse of power and breach of trust in the economic feasibility manipulation case of Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1, and have been in the first trial for two years and seven months.
2024-01-28 20:01:31
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