Appointment Process of Former Lawmaker Sang-jik Lee as KOTEC Chairman
Related to Abuse of Power Allegations Involving Former Personnel Chief Hyun-ok Cho
Disclosure of Prosecutor Appearance via Facebook
The prosecution, currently investigating the appointment process of former National Assembly member Lee Sang-jik as the chairman of the Small and Medium Business Corporation (hereinafter referred to as SBC) during the Moon Jae-in administration, as well as allegations of 'preferential hiring' at an airline involving Moon's son-in-law Seo Mo, summoned former presidential chief of staff Lim Jong-seok as a witness for questioning on the 20th.
On the 19th, Lim publicly disclosed on his Facebook that he would appear before the prosecution on the 20th and strongly criticized the prosecution's investigation, which has been actively progressing four years after the filing of the complaint.
On that day, the Criminal Division 3 of Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Han Yeon-gyu) announced that it had requested Lim to appear as a witness on the 9th regarding the case involving abuse of authority and obstruction of rights during the appointment process of the SBC chairman, and that he was scheduled to be questioned at Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office at 1:30 p.m. on the 20th.
Lim served as the presidential chief of staff to former President Moon Jae-in from May 2017 to January 2019.
The prosecution believes that at an unofficial Blue House meeting held at the end of 2017, former lawmaker Lee, founder of Eastar Jet, was nominated as the SBC chairman, and plans to confirm what role Lim played at that time during this investigation.
Earlier, the prosecution had booked former personnel chief Cho Hyun-ok on charges of abuse of authority and summoned key personnel from the Blue House personnel line to ascertain statements made during the meeting.
Lee was appointed as the SBC chairman in March 2018, the year following the unofficial meeting. In July of the same year, Seo, Moon's son-in-law, was controversially hired as an executive director at Thai Eastar Jet, a Thai low-cost airline founded by Lee.
Seo, who had no practical experience in the airline industry at the time, was hired as an executive of the airline struggling with poor performance in its early stages, raising suspicions that this was a quid pro quo favor linked to Lee's appointment as SBC chairman.
The then-opposition party, People Power Party, viewed the Blue House as having intervened in Lee's appointment as SBC chairman and Seo's hiring at the airline, and filed complaints with the prosecution four times between September 2020 and December 2021, requesting an investigation into the allegations.
The prosecution suspects that the former president and his wife, who were supporting living expenses for their daughter Dahye and her husband, facilitated Seo's employment as an executive at the Thai low-cost airline Thai Eastar Jet, enabling him to receive a salary.
Recently, through a seizure and search of financial accounts related to former President Moon and his wife Kim Jung-sook, the prosecution is reportedly analyzing account details to verify when and to what extent the couple supported Dahye's family.
On the morning of the 20th, Lim posted on his Facebook, stating, "I will appear at Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office at 1:30 p.m. tomorrow (the 20th). The office inquired about whether I wanted a closed-door investigation, but I declined," revealing his scheduled appearance and refusal of a closed-door session.
He said, "This case began with a complaint filed by the People Power Party in 2020," adding, "Political prosecutors have been mobilized to pursue a case that was politically orchestrated from the start."
Lim stated, "After dragging this out for four years, they are now revealing their true intentions. The recent seizure and search of accounts belonging to former President Moon and his wife clearly show the essence and goal of this case," and added, "Whether this is to divert attention from Kim Geon-hee or to change the political climate, the purpose of this dirty business is unacceptable."
He said, "Who is behind this, and who in the prosecution is acting as a loyal dog carrying the burden, will be revealed in time," and declared, "As I have said before, I have no intention of playing along with this impure political game."
He continued, "It is not the prosecution's role to piece together various fragments to create a plausible picture and fuel suspicions," and urged, "Stop fabricating cases and simply indict if there is evidence."
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