"Please Consider Alternative Attendance Methods," Moon Dahye, Third Refusal to Attend Witness Investigation

Prosecution Requests Multiple Summons Investigations
Refuses Prosecution Summons Again This Time

Da-hye Moon, the daughter of former President Moon Jae-in and a key witness in the suspicion of preferential hiring of Seo Mo, the former son-in-law of President Moon, at Thai Starjet, once again refused the prosecution's summons for investigation. On the 6th, Yonhap News reported that the Criminal Division 3 of Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Han Yeon-gyu) had notified Da-hye Moon again on the 4th to "come to the prosecution for investigation on the 7th or 8th," but Da-hye Moon, through her lawyer on the 6th, a day earlier, conveyed her intention to "not comply with the witness investigation." According to the report, Da-hye Moon's side requested the prosecution to "consider alternative methods to attendance as stipulated in the human rights protection investigation rules."

Moon Da-hye, 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]

Previously, the prosecution had notified Da-hye Moon several times to appear for investigation. This is the third time Da-hye Moon has refused a face-to-face investigation. The prosecution requested a face-to-face investigation on Da-hye Moon in mid-last month and on the 1st of this month, but Da-hye Moon's lawyer conveyed the opinion that "she will not appear as she is a witness." A prosecution official said regarding the repeated failure of face-to-face investigations, "In a bribery case, the investigation of the beneficiary or recipient of the benefit is essential before disposing of the case, so the investigation of Da-hye Moon is absolutely necessary," and added, "We will also consider telephone investigations."

Meanwhile, the prosecution reportedly designated former President Moon as a "suspect of bribery and others" while conducting a search and seizure of Da-hye Moon's residence and other locations. In particular, the prosecution has been investigating the suspicious circumstances under which Seo, who has no practical experience in the aviation industry, was employed by Thai Starjet, a Thai airline secretly owned by former lawmaker Lee Sang-jik, the founder of Eastar Jet. The amount of the bribe is specified as approximately 223 million KRW, which Seo received as salary and living expenses while working as an executive at Thai Starjet, owned by former Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Sang-jik, from July 2018 to April 2020.

At that time, the former President Moon and his wife bore part of the living expenses of their daughter and son-in-law, but they stopped financial support to their child following Seo's employment. Da-hye Moon moved to Thailand with her husband Seo Mo in 2018 when he was employed as an executive director at Thai Starjet. The prosecution is currently investigating, judging that the approximately 223 million KRW in salary and relocation expenses received by Da-hye Moon and her husband from Thai Starjet during this period constitute a bribe to former President Moon.