Former South Korean President’s Daughter Faces Scandals: Drunk Driving, Illegal Hiring, and Private Lodging

I made a big mistake that I should not have made. I am very ashamed and sorry.

The woman who wrote these words in a letter of regret distributed to the press was taken into custody on November 22 on suspicion of violating the Road Traffic Law (driving under the influence of alcohol). Moon Da Hae, 41, is the daughter of former South Korean President Moon Jae-in. She was driving drunk when she caused the crash in the early hours of October 5.

The accident took place at an intersection in Itaewon, a downtown area in the center of Seoul. A security camera near the accident site showed Mr. Dahee parking his car on the street a little after 6:30 p.m. on the evening of the 4th, the day before the accident. Mr. Dahee returned to his car at almost 3:00 a.m. when the date changed. He was seen unable to walk straight and mistakenly trying to force open the door of someone else’s car.

According to the police and other authorities, Mr. Dahe had been drinking alcohol for seven and a half hours at three different restaurants with men he knew. He was kicked out of one of the establishments because he was on a rampage, banging on tables and shouting, “Bring me the booze! When he got into his car, he drove off without turning on the headlights, even though it was pitch black. The car he was driving was a sports-type luxury car given to him by his father,” said a reporter from a Korean newspaper.

The smell of alcohol was so bad I couldn’t even open my eyes.

Security cameras showed Mr. Dahee’s car almost hitting a passerby several times and attempting to forcefully change lanes without putting on his blinker. At an intersection, Daheh’s car was involved in a collision with a cab driving behind him.

When the victimized cab driver approached the car, Mr. Dahe did not come out for a while. The driver called the police, and when Mr. Dahee finally got out of the car, his blood-alcohol level was measured at 0.14%, far exceeding the standard for license revocation (0.08% or higher).

According to a cab driver interviewed by the JoongAng Ilbo and other Korean media, “Dahee smelled so badly of alcohol that he couldn’t even open his eyes properly. On October 18, nearly two weeks after the accident, Mr. Dahee submitted a letter of remorse (see introduction). He turned himself in to the police. A settlement has been reached with the cab driver.

Drunken driving is not the only thing Dahe has been criticized for. He has been the subject of a series of ugly stories.

Appointed as a board member without working experience

The prosecutors are also investigating the alleged bribery of her ex-husband, Mr. A. Mr. A served as a director of Thai Easter Jet Airways from July 2006 to April 2008, which is effectively owned by a former member of the National Assembly who was a close friend of former President Moon Jae-in. During this period, Mr. Dahe was a member of the board of directors of Thai Easter Jet Airways. During this period, Ms. Dahe was in Thailand with her ex-husband.

However, Mr. A has absolutely no experience working in the airline industry. It is suspected that the approximately 25 million yen in salary and accommodation expenses that Mr. A received during his tenure as a board member may amount to a bribe. When asked by prosecutors, Mr. Dahee has frequently refused to be interviewed as a witness,” said a reporter stationed in Seoul for a national newspaper.

He is also suspected of illegally operating a private accommodation.

He is also suspected of illegally operating a home-stay business. He has been illegally operating a private home-stay business in this villa for about two years since around 2010. Although he was not registered as a lodging business operator, he posted on the Internet, “I stayed at the villa. It was very comfortable. The city of Jeju discovered that there were more than 100 posts on the Internet, such as “I stayed at the villa and it was very comfortable,” even though it was not registered as a lodging business. Jeju City asked the police to investigate.

It is believed that Mr. Dahee had been earning illegal income by calling himself a “full-time host” on a private accommodation reservation website. Mr. Dahee turned himself in to the Jeju City police station on November 11. He admitted that he had been running a private accommodation in a house he owned.

Mr. Dahee is reportedly doted on by his father and is said to have a selfish personality. While the scandals continue to unfold, the anger of the Korean people is growing by the day.