JEONJU, SOUTH KOREA — South Korean prosecutors have formally indicted former president Moon Jae-in on bribery charges linked to his former son-in-law’s employment at a Thailand-based airline.
The Jeonju District Prosecutors’ Office announced Thursday that Moon is being charged in connection with an alleged quid pro quo involving former lawmaker Lee Sang-jik, who was also indicted for bribery and breach of trust.
The investigation centers on whether Moon supported Lee’s appointment as head of South Korea’s SMEs and Startups Agency in exchange for Lee facilitating the hiring and compensation of Moon’s son-in-law at a Thai airline Lee controlled from 2018 to 2020.
Prosecutors allege that the salary Moon’s son-in-law received as an executive director was irregular and amounted to a bribe to the former president.
Neither Moon nor Lee, nor their legal teams, have issued public responses as of this report.