SEOUL (Realist News Agency). Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in has been formally indicted on corruption charges, according to prosecutors in Jeonju District. The case centers on allegations that Moon’s former son-in-law received a salary and benefits from Thai Eastar Jet between 2018 and 2020, which prosecutors say constituted a bribe funneled to Moon. The total sum of the compensation reportedly amounted to ₩217 million ($150,000).
Investigators claim that Lee Sang-jik, a former lawmaker and political ally of Moon who allegedly controlled the airline, secured the position of head of the Small and Medium Business Administration in exchange for hiring Moon’s relative. Lee has also been charged with corruption and breach of trust.
Moon, who served as president from 2017 to 2022, was known for his policy of engagement with North Korea. His indictment comes amid a deepening political crisis: in April, the Constitutional Court removed his successor, Yoon Suk-yeol, from office over attempts to impose martial law. A snap presidential election is scheduled for June 3.
Moon’s Democratic Party has denounced the indictment as politically motivated. Party spokesperson Park Kyung-mi described the case as “a misuse of prosecutorial power aimed at discrediting the former president.”
The indictment of Moon Jae-in raises serious concerns about the impartiality of South Korea’s judicial institutions. If the charges are unsubstantiated, the case could damage public trust and further destabilize the political climate. Conversely, if proven, the case will underscore persistent patterns of high-level corruption in South Korean politics — a pattern that continues to challenge democratic accountability in the country.
