South Korea’s prosecutor’s office said on Thursday it has indicted former President Moon Jae-in on bribery charges over allegations that he facilitated the employment of his former son-in-law at an airline.
According to the Jeonju District Prosecutor’s Office, Moon is accused of receiving about 217 million won (about $151,705) in salary, housing compensation and other payments from Thai Eastar Jet, an airline founded by former lawmaker Lee Sang-jik, between 2018 and 2020 from his then-son-in-law surnamed Seo.
Prosecutors allege that Seo held the position of executive director at the company despite having no relevant experience and did not actually fulfil his duties. In return, investigators believe Moon Jae-in appointed Lee Sang-jik as head of the Korea SMEs & Startup Support (KOSME).
While there is no direct evidence that Moon personally provided political favours to Lee, prosecutors believe that Lee expected retaliation given his involvement in Moon’s presidential campaign and subsequent appointments to public office.
Moon’s political allies from the opposition Democratic Party have called the charges politically motivated and aimed at discrediting the former president ahead of the upcoming presidential election scheduled for June 3, 2025.
Moon Jae-in led South Korea from 2017 to 2022 and was considered the first head of state to end his presidency without scandal. He voluntarily left office, retired from politics, settled in the countryside and wrote a memoir. Unlike his predecessors, Moon faced no criminal prosecutions, protests or allegations of corruption. He was hailed as an exception to a sad tradition – a man who managed to walk away “cleanly.”
