Former President Moon Jae-in was indicted without detention Thursday on charges of bribery, according to the Jeonju District Prosecutor’s Office.
Moon has been accused of allowing his former son-in-law to receive preferential treatment in securing a job with an airline. Almost 220 million won ($154,000) in salary and relocation expenses to Thailand were paid between July 2018 and April 2020, which constituted a de facto bribe to the former president, according to the prosecution.
Prosecutors launched an investigation into former President Moon Jae-in’s alleged involvement in the case after Seoul-based civic group Justice People filed a complaint in December 2021, alleging a possible quid pro quo involving Moon, his former son-in-law, identified by the surname Seo, and Lee Sang-jik — a former two-term lawmaker from the then-ruling Democratic Party and founder of budget airline Eastar Jet.
Prosecutors pinpointed Lee as the source of the alleged bribe and confirmed that Seo’s appointment as executive director of Thai Eastar Jet was made despite his lack of airline industry experience and the company’s financial struggles. A separate civil affairs team under Moon’s presidential office was involved in the process, the prosecution claims.
“Seo frequently left his post for extended periods, flew to South Korea or worked remotely. He did not provide proper labor befitting his position as the executive director. But Seo received a monthly salary of 8 million won, almost twice the salary of the airline’s CEO,” the Jeonju District Prosecutor’s Office said in a press release.
Moon Jae-in’s legal team denied all allegations, insisting that the prosecution was abusing its power to indict a former president without giving him the opportunity to respond or defend himself against the claims.
Necessary information for overseas residence, including the location of the former president's daughter Moon Da-hye and Seo’s residence in Thailand, the scale of the financial support to be provided and international schooling for their child, was also delivered to the presidential secretary for civil affairs.
Prosecutors concluded that former President Moon, who had been supporting his daughter’s family for some time, personally gained direct financial benefit as he stopped providing living expenses to them after Seo was hired by Thai Eastar Jet.
The prosecution believes that as the president's support was cut off after Seo’s employment, the support from the airline constitutes a bribe to the former president, citing Supreme Court precedent.
In 2018, South Korea’s top court previously ruled that if a public official and a non-public official plan a crime in advance with shared intent, and the non-public official receives a bribe according to that plan, both parties can be held criminally liable for bribery.
“The essence of the case is that the president received preferential treatment by exercising his authority, enabling the overseas migration of his daughter and her husband through an airline company managed by former lawmaker and businessperson Lee,” said the prosecution.
The trial proceedings for the former president will be held in Seoul, as the prosecution filed the indictment with the Seoul Central District Court.
Although the former president's daughter and his former son-in-law Seo were deemed accomplices in the alleged crime, prosecutors opted to suspend their indictments. They explained that the state’s interest in pursuing justice could be sufficiently served by prosecuting Moon Jae-in and the individual accused of offering the bribe to him.
Moon Da-hye and Seo divorced in 2021.
Meanwhile, the former president’s daughter was fined 15 million won for drunk driving and illegally renting out properties for short-term accommodation
The Seoul Western District Court delivered the fine to Moon Da-hye on April 17, citing her high blood alcohol level and large profits stemming from the accommodation business.
Moon Da-hye was previously indicted by the Seoul Western District Prosecutor’s Office on charges of driving under the influence in Itaewon in October 2024, and violating the Public Health Control Act by running an Airbnb business without official registration in Seoul and on Jeju Island.
sj_lee@heraldcorp.com
