Ex-President Moon denounces bribery charges as unjust

Seoul

Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in has criticized the prosecution for indicting him on bribery charges, calling the move "unjust" and accusing prosecutors of abusing their power. Moon made these remarks after prosecutors charged him with allegedly facilitating his former son-in-law’s employment at a Thai airline, which he claims was politically motivated.

Moon, who served from 2017 to 2022, stated that the indictment felt predetermined, particularly as he was already working with prosecutors to verify the facts. The charges relate to Moon and his daughter, Da-hye, allegedly receiving bribes in the form of salary payments to Da-hye's ex-husband, Seo, who was appointed executive director of the airline in 2018.

Prosecutors suspect that Seo’s employment was a reward for Lee Sang-jik’s appointment as head of the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency. Moon is also accused of halting financial support to his daughter after Seo’s hire, and the compensation of about 217 million won ($151,125) was deemed a bribe.

Following his meeting with National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik, Moon attended a ceremony marking the seventh anniversary of the Panmunjom Declaration, a peace agreement he signed with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Moon criticized the current administration's hardline policies on North Korea and called for the restoration of inter-Korean talks to prevent military conflict. He also warned against South Korea pursuing nuclear weapons, calling it a dangerous move that could harm denuclearization efforts.