Prosecutors to Question Former Blue House Official on 9th... Notification Also Sent to Former President Moon

Blue House Administrative Officer 'Witness Examination Before Trial'... Notification of Participation to Former President Moon Jae-in

The prosecution investigating allegations of preferential hiring at an airline involving Seo Mo, the son-in-law of former President Moon Jae-in, will conduct a pre-trial witness examination next week targeting a former Blue House administrative officer who was in charge of managing the president's relatives.

A pre-trial witness examination is a procedure conducted before the trial when a key witness, whose testimony is essential during the investigation, refuses to appear before the prosecution.

According to the legal community on the 5th, the Criminal Division 3 of Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Han Yeon-gyu) will investigate Shin Mo, a former Blue House administrative officer, during the pre-trial witness examination scheduled for the 9th at the Seoul Southern District Court.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Shin, who is currently involved in politics, is known to have assisted Dahye, the daughter of former President Moon, in her relocation to Thailand in 2018. The prosecution is expected to question Shin about the background of the Blue House's support for Dahye and her husband’s overseas move, which was related to Seo’s employment at Thai Starjet.

The prosecution initially planned to conduct the examination on the 26th of last month, but the schedule was postponed after Shin submitted a letter of absence to the court. Before the examination, the court also sent notices of the hearing date to former President Moon Jae-in, former lawmaker Lee Sang-jik, Park Seok-ho, CEO of Thai Starjet, and Cho Hyun-ok, former Blue House personnel chief, all of whom are suspects or accused in this case.

Since this is a procedure to guarantee the suspects' right to defense, they are not obligated to participate in the examination or appear in court. The prosecution is currently analyzing evidence obtained through searches of Dahye’s residence and a villa in Jeju Island conducted on the 30th of last month. After completing this, they are expected to consider whether to investigate Dahye as a witness.