Prosecutors in South Korea have charged former President Moon Jae-in with bribery, a spokesperson said on Thursday. The case is about his alleged role in helping his former son-in-law get a job at a Thai airline.
Moon, 72, was indicted for bribery, while former lawmaker Lee Sang-jik was indicted for bribery and breach of trust, Jeonju District Prosecutors’ Office said in a statement.
Prosecutors had been investigating whether Lee’s appointment as the head of the SMEs and Startups Agency was in exchange for Moon’s former son-in-law getting a job and receiving a salary plus living expenses at the Thai-based corporation that Lee controlled in 2018-2020, the statement said.
Bribe To President
The prosecution alleges that the money Moon’s son-in-law received as an executive director, totalling 5.95 million baht ($177,506), or 218 million won, was irregular and constituted a bribe to the then-president.
Moon, Lee and their legal representatives could not immediately be reached for comment.
The liberal-leaning Moon, a lawyer and a civil rights activist, was president between 2017 and 2022.
He was replaced by the conservative Yoon Suk Yeol as president. Yoon was removed from office this month after being impeached over his short-lived imposition of martial law.
Yoon Returns Home
Yoon returned to his private home on Friday, April 11, from the official residence after his removal from office, with crowds of supporters turning out to greet his motorcade.
The Constitutional Court upheld Yoon’s impeachment earlier in April, capping four months of unprecedented constitutional turmoil after his short-lived attempt to impose martial law in December sent shockwaves through Asia’s fourth-largest economy.
The former president still faces a trial on accusations he led an insurrection, a charge that is punishable by death or a life sentence if he is convicted.
Snap Election
South Korea will now hold a snap election on June 3 and questions remain over whether Yoon might still play a role given how his impeachment appears to have deepened polarisation in society and stirred up his conservative supporters.
The race to replace Yoon kicked off in April with nearly 20 hopefuls expected to contest for the candidacy of the conservative People Power Party that is in a fight to retain the presidency against a populist liberal who leads in the polls.
($1 = 33.5200 baht)
(With inputs from Reuters)
