Lee Sangjik Indicted Without Detention for Bribery and Breach of Duty
Daughter and Former Son-in-law Receive Suspension of Indictment
Three Years and Five Months After Civic Group's Complaint
The Criminal Division 3 of the Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office, which has been investigating allegations that Seo, the former son-in-law of former President Moon Jae-in, received preferential treatment in his hiring at Thai Eastar Jet Airlines, indicted former President Moon without detention on April 24. This comes three years and five months after a civic group filed a complaint in December 2021.
Prosecutors believe that in March 2018, while serving as president, Moon appointed former Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Sangjik as head of the Korea Small and Medium Business Corporation in exchange for Seo receiving preferential treatment in his hiring at Thai Eastar Jet Airlines in July of that year. Seo, who is the husband of Moon's daughter Dahye, had previously worked at a gaming company but had no experience in the aviation industry. Prosecutors concluded that Seo's appointment as executive director at the airline was ultimately due to Moon's appointment of Lee as head of the corporation.
Prosecutors stated that the total of 217 million won paid to Seo by the company after his employment, including salary and relocation support, constitutes the amount of the bribe. According to prosecutors, after being hired, Seo performed only simple support tasks and was frequently absent from work or did not show up under the pretext of working remotely. Prosecutors determined that he did not perform normal work duties.
Prosecutors also alleged that former President Moon was involved in Seo's hiring process through the Special Inspection Team of the Blue House's Civil Affairs Office at the time. They stated that after Lee Sangjik was nominated as head of the Korea Small and Medium Business Corporation in December 2017, he received the previous director's business plan and used it to prepare his application documents. Prosecutors further revealed that among the three candidates, only Lee underwent a personnel verification process.
As a result, prosecutors also indicted Lee without detention on charges of bribery and breach of duty. Moon's daughter Dahye and Seo received a suspension of indictment. Seo divorced Dahye in 2021. Previously, on August 30 last year, prosecutors searched Dahye's residence and office in Seoul, as well as a villa in Jeju Island, and named former President Moon as a "bribery suspect" in the warrant.
A prosecution official stated, "The core of this case is that the president received special favors for supporting the emigration of his daughter and her husband to Thailand through an airline controlled by Lee, who was both a politician and a public institution head expecting political and economic benefits from the president's exercise of broad authority." The official added, "We conducted the investigation in accordance with due process and exercised prosecutorial discretion with restraint." The official continued, "While the president's daughter and former son-in-law are accomplices, by indicting the president and the provider of the bribe, the purpose of exercising the state's punitive authority is achieved. Taking into account their family relationship, we decided to suspend indictment for them on the same day."
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