MundaHye Officetel to Continue Lodging Business on the 22nd... Told to Say It's Cousin's House

Continued Operation Amid Controversy
"Also Specified in Reservation Notice"

After allegations arose that Moon Da-hye (41), daughter of former President Moon Jae-in, operated illegal lodging business in an officetel located in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, it has been reported that the business continued. Following suspicions of illegal lodging operations at a house in Jeju City after a drunk driving accident, the Yeongdeungpo-gu officetel was also embroiled in similar allegations but continued to accommodate guests. Channel A reported on the 23rd that there were guests at the Yeongdeungpo-gu officetel even on the 22nd, after police investigations.

Moon Dahye, daughter of former President Moon Jae-in, who caused a drunk driving accident, is appearing at the Yongsan Police Station in Seoul on the 18th and responding to questions from the press. Photo by Jo Yong-jun

When asked by reporters, the guest responded to the question, “Did you come through Airbnb?” by saying, “No, I came to my cousin’s house,” but when asked more specifically, such as “Is your cousin a woman? Does she live here?” the guest confessed, “I was told to say it’s my cousin’s house if anyone asks on Airbnb.” The guest revealed that they rented the officetel through a shared lodging application two weeks ago and that the same instruction was included in the reservation notice. The price was in the 100,000 won range per night. The guests said they did not know the officetel was under Moon’s name.

Shared lodging businesses are allowed in single-family, multi-family, row houses, multi-unit houses, and apartments targeting foreign tourists, but officetels are classified as office facilities and are therefore not permitted. Thus, while lodging business is possible with registration for houses in Jeju City, registration itself is not possible for officetels in Yeongdeungpo-gu. If it is proven that Moon illegally operated a lodging business through Airbnb, she could face up to two years imprisonment or a fine of up to 20 million won under the Public Health Control Act.

Moon purchased the officetel on June 23, 2021. According to the certified copy of the register, Moon is the sole owner. Yeongdeungpo-gu officials visited Moon’s officetel around 4 p.m. on the 22nd but could not confirm whether it was being used as lodging because the door was closed. The district office stated, “We plan to conduct another on-site inspection soon to verify if it is actually being used as a lodging business, and if confirmed, we will request a police investigation.”

Previously, suspicions were raised that illegal lodging without registration was conducted at a house owned by Moon in Hallim-eup, Jeju City, prompting the Jeju Autonomous Police to launch an investigation. The single-family house was originally registered under the name of Father Song Gi-in, who was close to the late former President Roh Moo-hyun and former President Moon Jae-in, but Moon purchased it on July 3, 2022, for 380 million won.