A former Channel A news reporter has been indicted on attempted extortion charges.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office announced on Wednesday that it referred Lee Dong-jae for trial, 20 days after he was detained.
The 35-year-old Lee is accused of using his close ties with ranking prosecutor Han Dong-hoon to blackmail a jailed financier into leaking corruption allegations against Rhyu Si-min, a pro-government commentator who also serves as chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation.
The financier claimed Lee repeatedly pressed him by sharing a voice recording of a conversation between the reporter and Han, a close associate of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl.
Lee has denied the accusation.
Meanwhile, contrary to expectations, prosecutor Han was not named as an accomplice in the indictment.
<Photo: Yonhap News>
