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

“I made a great mistake that should never have been made. I am filled with shame and deep regret.”

This was the statement made by the woman, who was sent for questioning on November 22 without being detained, in connection with a violation of the Road Traffic Act (drunk driving). Moon Da-hye (41), the daughter of former South Korean President Moon Jae-in, is accused of driving under the influence and causing a collision in the early hours of October 5.

“The accident occurred at an intersection in the busy district of Itaewon, Seoul. Surveillance footage from near the accident site shows Da-hye parking her car on the street around 6:30 PM on October 4. She returned to the car at around 3:00 AM the next day, visibly unable to walk straight, and even attempted to forcefully open another car’s door by mistake.

According to police and other sources, Da-hye had been drinking for seven and a half hours with a male acquaintance at three different venues. There were reports that she was kicked out of one of the establishments for causing a scene, banging on the table and shouting, ‘Bring me more alcohol!’ After getting into her car, despite the dark surroundings, she drove off without turning on the headlights. Da-hye was driving a sports luxury car that had been handed down to her from her father” (Korean newspaper reporter).

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

Surveillance cameras captured Da-hee’s car several times nearly hitting pedestrians and making aggressive lane changes without signaling. At the intersection, she collided with a taxi that was driving behind her.

“When the taxi driver approached the car, Da-hee reportedly did not get out for some time. The driver called the police, and when Da-hee finally exited the vehicle, her blood alcohol concentration was tested, revealing a reading of 0.14%, far exceeding the legal limit for license suspension (0.08%).

According to interviews with the taxi driver by Korean media like Chosun Ilbo, the driver said that Da-hee smelled strongly of alcohol and could hardly open her eyes. On October 18, nearly two weeks after the incident, Da-hee submitted a letter of reflection (as mentioned earlier) and reported to the police. She reached a settlement with the taxi driver” (same source).

Da-hee is facing criticism not only for driving under the influence but also for ongoing scandals.

 

Appointed as a board member without working experience

“The prosecution is also investigating bribery allegations related to Da-hee’s former husband, Mr. A, and his connections. Mr. A served as an executive at Thai Easter Jet Airline, a company owned by a former lawmaker who was close to former President Moon Jae-in, from July 2018 to April 2020. During this time, Da-hee was staying in Thailand with her former husband.

However, Mr. A had no experience in the aviation industry, leading to suspicions of nepotism. The salary and expenses Mr. A received during his tenure, approximately 25 million yen, could be considered bribes. Despite requests from the prosecution, Da-hee has repeatedly refused to testify as a witness” (national newspaper reporter in Seoul).

Additionally, there are suspicions of illegal operation of a vacation rental.

“Da-hee inherited a house in a prime location in Jeju City from her father. It is reported that, starting around 2022, Da-hee operated illegal vacation rentals at this property for about two years. Despite not having registered the property as a business, over 100 posts on the internet mentioned staying at the house, saying it was very comfortable. Jeju City authorities discovered this and requested an investigation from the police.

Da-hee allegedly used a vacation rental booking site account under the name full-time host and earned illegal income. Da-hee admitted to operating the vacation rental when she appeared at Jeju City police station on November 11″ (same source).

There are reports that Da-hee is spoiled by her father and has a selfish personality. With the continuous scandals, public pressure is mounting, and anger among the South Korean people is growing daily.