'Moon Jae-in Investigation' as a Conflict Trigger... Ruling Party: "Legitimate Investigation" vs Opposition: "Political Retaliation"

Condemning 'Political Retaliation' Regardless of Friend or Foe
Yoon Sang-hyun: "All Former Presidents Have Been Investigated Personally"

The investigation into preferential hiring allegations involving former President Moon Jae-in's ex-son-in-law has emerged as a new flashpoint of conflict just one day after the ruling and opposition party leaders met. While the ruling party insists it is a legitimate investigation and pressures the opposition, the opposition voices a unified claim of political retaliation.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated on social media on the 31st of last month, "We firmly reject political retaliation," emphasizing, "Keep in mind that retaliating against the previous administration and suppressing the opposition will neither improve people's livelihoods nor change the political situation." At the bottom of his social media post, Lee also shared an article reporting that the prosecution had conducted a search of the residence of Moon's daughter, Moon Da-hye. Furthermore, during a meeting with Han Dong-hoon, leader of the People Power Party, the previous day, Lee remarked in his opening statement, "It seems there are increasing excessive measures that can be seen as political retaliation against the previous administration."

The Democratic Party leadership, increasingly identified with 'Jjinmyeong' (a nickname for Lee Jae-myung), also criticized the investigation into the previous administration. Jeon Hyun-hee, a senior member of the Democratic Party, said at the party's supreme council meeting held in Yeouido, Seoul, "President Yoon Seok-youl recently declared in a national briefing that he would focus on livelihood issues, but immediately after, he is zealously pursuing political retaliation against the previous administration through the prosecution," adding, "If they think that humiliating families, killing the opposition, and political retaliation investigations will reverse the plummeting approval ratings of the Yoon administration, they are gravely mistaken." Kim Min-seok, another senior member of the Democratic Party, also criticized, saying, "While the current president's wife was cleared of charges in an 'emperor investigation,' investigating the former president's ex-son-in-law under the guise of equality before the law is beyond denial of reality; it is a level of fantasy addiction."

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 2nd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Even factions within the Democratic Party not aligned with Lee Jae-myung criticized the investigation into former President Moon. Former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said on social media, "The path President Yoon should take is national unity, not political retaliation," adding, "Retaliatory investigations against former presidents will only pour fuel on the fire of public anger." Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon stated on social media the previous day, "President Yoon, who once asked if retaliation through investigations made one a gangster, must answer now," and added, "The prosecution, which has investigated figures from the previous administration throughout the term, has now designated former President Moon as a suspect. At this point, it seems they are just going all out."

The Democratic Party is expected to take concrete steps in response to the investigation into former President Moon. Lee Jae-myung plans to visit former President Moon on the 8th to discuss countermeasures against the prosecution's investigation. The visit was originally scheduled for the 25th of last month, shortly after Lee's re-election, but was postponed due to Lee testing positive for COVID-19. Additionally, the party plans to establish a task force to respond to the prosecution's investigation.

Han Dong-hoon, leader of the People Power Party, is attending the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 29th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

On the other hand, the People Power Party defined the prosecution's investigation into former President Moon as a "legitimate investigation" conducted according to laws and regulations. They criticized the Democratic Party, which enthusiastically supported the purge of deep-rooted evils during the Moon administration when it was in power, for now opposing the investigation after becoming the opposition, calling it hypocrisy.

The People Power Party believes that former President Moon will not be able to avoid direct questioning by the prosecution. The key issue in the investigation is whether former President Moon and his daughter’s husband are considered an "economic community," and given their direct family relationship, it is seen that they fall under this category. They cited the case of former President Park Geun-hye, who was investigated as an economic community with Choi Soon-sil despite not being family.

Choo Kyung-ho, floor leader of the People Power Party, said at the supreme council meeting that day, "We cannot stop a legitimate investigation conducted according to laws and regulations." Yoon Sang-hyun, a member of the same party, also argued, "Former Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye were all directly questioned," adding, "As former presidents, they should be treated with due respect and the investigation should follow laws and principles."

In political circles, there is a forecast that the prosecution's investigation into former President Moon could become a new flashpoint of conflict between the ruling and opposition parties. This comes amid concerns that it could dampen the cooperative atmosphere following the previous day's meeting between party leaders, where they agreed to form a 'common pledge consultation body' to discuss non-contentious livelihood bills. Professor Shin Yul of Myongji University's Department of Political Science and Diplomacy commented on concerns about inter-party conflict, saying, "If there is a problem, an investigation must be conducted. If there is a problem but the investigation is avoided out of political considerations, that would be political prosecution."