Ex-President Moon Jae-in Faces Bribery Allegations, Stirring Outcry in South Korea

Former presidents in South Korea have repeatedly faced tragic ends, with cases of imprisonment or even being driven to suicide due to scandals during their time in office. Now, it has come to light that prosecutors are advancing an investigation that regards former President Moon Jae-in (71) as a suspect, causing a stir within the country.

The scenario involves a former lawmaker, appointed as a public corporation president under the Moon administration, allegedly hiring Moon’s then-son-in-law (later divorced) as an executive of their low-cost airline in return, with the salary paid being considered a bribe to Moon.

Moon’s daughter and his close aides have criticized the investigation and are preparing for a full-scale confrontation, intensifying the conflict with the administration of Yoon Suk-yeol, whose key positions are filled by former prosecutors. Meanwhile, some citizens are expressing fatigue, saying, “We’ve had enough of the sight of former presidents being imprisoned every time the administration changes.”

After retiring from office, he became a bookstore owner. Still popular with a constant stream of fans who visit.

Former President Moon Jae-in is remembered for taking a conciliatory approach that emphasized dialogue with North Korea, while adopting a tough stance toward Japan, which led to a severe deterioration in Japan-South Korea relations—a situation still fresh in memory.

After his retirement, he moved to Pyeongsan Village in Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do, and opened a bookstore near his home.

The author visited this bookstore in September of last year. At one point, conservative anti-Moon groups had gathered there, repeatedly attacking him with loudspeakers, but by the time of the visit, peace had returned. A store associate mentioned that “Moon would come in the evening,” and sure enough, he appeared with his security detail, smiling broadly.

Supporters who had come to visit formed a long line, and Moon happily posed for photos and shook hands. Even after stepping down in May 2022, he still has many fans. The author, also in line, told Moon, “I came from Japan,” but there was no particular reaction.

In May of this year, Moon published his memoir.

While he tends to praise himself when discussing North-South relations, the memoir also includes some surprisingly interesting anecdotes, such as when North Korea’s General Secretary Kim Jong-un (40) suggested during their meeting that they could become email friends by noting that he always carries a laptop to the field and can send and receive emails anytime.

Regarding the Abe administration at the time, with which he did not get along, Moon makes repeated references, harshly criticizing it for making claims close to interference in domestic affairs and for taking positions that threw cold water on dialogue related to North-South relations.