Police Summon Moon Dahye for 'Illegal Lodging Business' Last Weekend

Investigation into Yangpyeong-dong Villa Purchase and Others
Airbnb Search Warrant Issued

The police conducted a summons investigation last week targeting Moon Da-hye (41), the daughter of former President Moon Jae-in, on suspicion of illegally using an officetel for lodging business.

Woo Jong-su, head of the National Investigation Headquarters of the National Police Agency, explained at a regular press briefing on the 25th, "On the 23rd, we summoned Ms. Moon and investigated her on charges of operating an unregistered illegal lodging business at an officetel in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, and a villa located in Yangpyeong-dong," adding, "Ms. Moon was cooperative with the investigation."

Moon Dahye, daughter of former President Moon Jae-in. Photo by Yonhap News.

Ms. Moon is suspected of violating the Public Health Control Act by using an officetel located in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, for lodging business without registering the lodging business. The police have registered and are investigating Ms. Moon after receiving investigation requests from Yeongdeungpo-gu, complaints from civic groups, and civil petitions through the National Police Agency's Civil Complaint Center.

Earlier, Ms. Moon was sent to the prosecution on the 15th for operating a shared lodging business (Airbnb) for two years at her own detached house located in Hallim-eup, Jeju City. To operate an officetel as a shared lodging business, facilities and equipment must be installed according to the Public Health Control Act, and a public health business report must be filed with the local district office.

Regarding whether to conduct a compulsory investigation on the lodging platform Airbnb, Director Woo said, "Although a search warrant was issued, the headquarters of Airbnb is not in Korea, so the warrant was not physically executed," adding, "However, cooperation from the company has been requested."

Regarding the suspicion that Ms. Moon purchased a villa located in Yangpyeong-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, which is a violation building, knowing this fact and used it for illegal lodging business, he said, "Additional investigation is necessary to specify the criminal facts," and "We plan to promptly conduct supplementary investigations and send the case to prosecution."

In addition, regarding the decision not to apply the charge of dangerous driving causing injury in Ms. Moon's drunk driving case, he said, "We confirmed the facts through various investigations," but "After legal review, it was judged difficult to recognize the injury of the taxi driver."

Previously, on the morning of the 5th of last month, Ms. Moon was driving a Casper vehicle in a drunken state in front of the Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and suddenly changed lanes without using the turn signal, colliding with a taxi following behind. At that time, Ms. Moon's blood alcohol concentration was 0.149%, which is above the license cancellation level (0.08% or higher). Ms. Moon appeared at the police station on the 18th, 13 days after the accident, and is known to have admitted most of the charges.