Former President Moon Jae-in of South Korea was indicted on a bribery cost on Thursday, turning into the newest ex-leader to face a prison trial in a rustic the place subjecting former leaders to prison investigations has develop into a recurring pattern.
Mr. Moon, who left workplace after his five-year time period resulted in 2022, faces the corruption cost in reference to the employment of his former son-in-law at a now-defunct small price range airline in Thailand, prosecutors stated on Thursday.
The previous son-in-law, on the time married to Mr. Moon’s daughter, Da-hye, obtained 217 million received, or round $150,000, in wage and housing allowances from the airline between 2018 and 2020, in accordance with the district prosecutor’s workplace in Jeonju, south of Seoul. (The couple later divorced.)
Of their indictment, Jeonju prosecutors stated they thought-about the cash a bribe paid to Mr. Moon by Lee Sang-jik, a South Korean businessman and former lawmaker who managed the airline. Mr. Lee made the son-in-law an government there as a favor to Mr. Moon’s household though he was not certified for the job, they stated.
Below Mr. Moon, Mr. Lee served as the pinnacle of a authorities company in control of selling small companies and was elected as a lawmaker affiliated with Mr. Moon’s Democratic Celebration in 2020. Mr. Lee misplaced his parliamentary seat after he was arrested and convicted on costs of embezzlement and election-law violations.
Mr. Moon used his presidential employees to assist prepare his son-in-law’s employment and his relocation from South Korea to Thailand, Jeonju prosecutors stated.
Mr. Lee, who was serving a jail time period stemming from his earlier corruption costs, was additionally indicted on a further bribery cost on Thursday.
The previous son-in-law and Mr. Moon’s daughter weren’t indicted.
Mr. Moon’s attorneys and his allies within the Democratic Celebration disputed the cost in a press release on Thursday, saying there was no authorized foundation for the bribery accusation as a result of the cash the son-in-law obtained was professional compensation for his work.
Senior prosecutors appointed by Mr. Yoon had engineered the “political indictment” of Mr. Moon to assist dilute the general public consideration focused on Mr. Yoon as he faces trial on an rebel cost, they stated.
“They can not make the crime of Yoon Suk Yeol and his clique disappear by harassing and humiliating President Moon Jae-in,” the assertion added.
Though Mr. Yoon served as a prosecutor-general beneath Mr. Moon, they later grew to become sworn political enemies.
Mr. Moon’s indictment is a part of a well-known sample in South Korea, the place presidents or their family have usually been ensnared by investigations earlier than or after they left workplace. That features 4 of the latest former presidents who ruled the nation over the previous twenty years. Roh Moo-hyun killed himself in 2009 whereas being investigated for attainable corruption. Two — Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye — ended up in jail for corruption. And Yoon Suk Yeol, who was removed from presidency on April 4, is standing trial on the cost of committing rebel when he sent military troops into the Nationwide Meeting throughout his short-lived imposition of martial regulation in December.
These prison investigations have contributed to the deepening political polarization in South Korea, as presidents from each the liberal and conservative camps have been focused and, in flip, have referred to as the prosecutions political revenge engineered by their enemies as soon as they took energy.
Below Mr. Yoon, a conservative, Mr. Moon and his former aides have confronted a collection of criminal investigations. In February, a court docket discovered 4 former nationwide safety aides to Mr. Moon responsible of abusing their official power. However their jail phrases had been suspended because the court docket indicated that it thought-about the prison costs to be politically motivated by the Yoon administration.
Prosecutors launched an investigation into Mr. Moon’s son-in-law close to the tip of his time period. They stated that once they have tried to summon Mr. Moon in current months, he refused to current himself for questioning or to reply questions they despatched him by mail.
Mr. Moon is best known for his efforts to construct political reconciliation with North Korea. He met with North Korea’s chief, Kim Jong-un, and helped mediate the summit assembly between Mr. Kim and President Donald J. Trump in 2018. He was criticized for failing to curb soaring housing prices however was credited for his nation’s largely profitable battle in opposition to the pandemic.
After leaving workplace, Mr. Moon moved to a brand new residence inbuilt Yangsan within the southeast of South Korea. He has posted a collection of feedback on his Fb account criticizing Mr. Yoon and his insurance policies, particularly after the failed imposition of martial regulation.
