South Korean prosecutors have indicted former president Moon Jae-in on corruption charges connected to his son-in-law's employment at a low-cost airline.
The indictment was announced on Thursday by the Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office, which stated that Moon had received 217 million won (approximately USD 150,000) in exchange for facilitating the job placement of his son-in-law at Thai Eastar Jet.
Moon, who served as president from 2017 to 2022, was a prominent figure in South Korean politics, known for his policy of engagement with North Korea. He was instrumental in arranging high-level talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump.
However, this latest legal development has thrown a shadow over his presidency.
Prosecutors allege that Moon's son-in-law, despite lacking relevant qualifications or experience in the airline industry, was appointed managing director at Thai Eastar Jet, a position he was said to have secured through Moon’s influence.
They claim that his appointment was part of a scheme by the airline’s controlling entity, a former member of Moon’s party, to curry favour with the sitting president.
The airline’s executives, prosecutors suggest, paid the son-in-law bribes under the guise of salary payments between 2018 and 2020, with the goal of winning favourable treatment from Moon.
Moreover, prosecutors indicated that the son-in-law frequently neglected his duties, often taking extended absences from his role without performing in line with his position. The charges are a part of an ongoing investigation into corruption within South Korea’s political elite.
This case adds another chapter to the political drama engulfing South Korea, which is preparing for elections on June 3.
Moon’s indictment follows the legal troubles of his predecessor, President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was controversially stripped of office after a brief martial law decree. Both Moon and Yoon are now facing significant legal challenges.
Moon’s indictment also brings attention to South Korea’s pattern of political score-settling. The country’s history is marked by the legal entanglements of former leaders. Former presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye were both convicted of corruption and served prison sentences.
Meanwhile, former president Roh Moo-hyun, who served as Moon’s chief of staff, tragically took his own life during a corruption investigation involving his family.
In response to the indictment, Moon’s political party, the Democratic Party, strongly condemned the move, calling it an abuse of prosecutorial power and a politically motivated attack.
Party spokesperson Park Kyung-mee questioned the logic behind the charge, asserting that the payments made to Moon’s son-in-law were mere salary payments, not bribes.
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