Former President Moon Jae-in's Daughter Involved in Double Party Membership Scandal
Investigations have revealed that Moon Jae-in's daughter, Moon Da-hye, was a member of both the Democratic Party and the Justice Party during her father's presidency. The National Police Agency's investigation uncovered that the head of the National Security Office advised her to resign from the Democratic Party after concerns arose about the potential negative impact on the president's administration due to her dual membership.
According to the indictment submitted by the Ministry of Justice, the situation escalated when Moon Da-hye's membership in the Justice Party was widely reported in January 2018, raising suspicions about her dual affiliation. A prosecutor stated that evidence confirming her membership in the Democratic Party was obtained through seizures, noting that belonging to multiple parties is illegal, but they did not pursue charges due to the statute of limitations.
The investigation also indicated that Moon Jae-in assisted his son-in-law, Seo Mo, in securing various jobs as the couple faced financial difficulties. The indictment detailed that in February 2016, after Seo failed repeatedly in law school admissions and his marriage deteriorated, Moon Jae-in facilitated his employment at 'Tori Games' through a former administrative officer from his administration.
Despite a monthly salary of 2.6 million won, the couple struggled to meet their average monthly expenses of over 6 million won, relying on 4 million won in monthly support from Seo's mother. However, as her financial situation worsened, the support ceased, and by late January 2018, the couple's total savings dwindled to just 2 million won.
Subsequently, Moon Jae-in helped Seo secure a position at Thai low-cost airline Thai AirAsia, where he earned a total of 217 million won from August 2018 to April 2020. Prosecutors have classified this payment as a bribe to Moon Jae-in. The Presidential Security Service reported Seo's employment and the security plans for Moon Da-hye's family in Thailand to the former president, who approved them.
On April 24, the Jeonju District Prosecutor's Office indicted Moon Jae-in on bribery charges without detention, alongside former lawmaker Lee, who allegedly provided favors to the family. Moon Da-hye and Seo received deferred prosecution. In response, Moon Jae-in criticized the investigation as politically motivated, claiming it was designed to harass and humiliate him and his family. He has since filed complaints against the prosecutors involved for abuse of power and leaking information.
In light of these developments, lawmaker Joo Jin-woo stated that if Moon Jae-in and the Democratic Party had any sense of shame, they should apologize to the public, criticizing their attempts to intimidate the judiciary and prosecutors with threats of impeachment and legal action.
