Ex-president Moon was all smiles when he stepped down as president in May this year. (Image: AFP/Afro) “This is not the Himalayas. This is a mountain lodge on Mt. Yeongchwasan in the Korean Alps. Everywhere you climb a mountain, you need a cup of noodles.” On June 24, former South Korean President Moon Jae-in, 69, posted on his Instagram page about his climb with a joyful caption. The mountain he climbed was Mt. Yeongchuksan, near his home in Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do (South Gyeongsang Province), in the south. His appearance has changed drastically since his term in office. He has grown a white beard and uploaded an image of himself chatting with friends while eating instant ramen noodles.   “Since finishing his term as president in May of this year, he has been living a comfortable life of retirement at home. He’s been growing crops in the fields and hanging out with his dog. Looking at his Instagram pictures, it seems that his expression has become much calmer than when he was president,” said a Korean newspaper reporter. However, Moon’s idyllic life is not likely to last long. The “X-Day” of the former president’s arrest is becoming a reality. In the background is a scandal that has surfaced in the vicinity of Moon Jae-in. Kim Hyun, the Tokyo bureau chief of the Daehan Financial Daily, reports. “The scandal is about the June 2018 mayoral election in the southern city of Ulsan. The candidate who won the election, defeating an opposition candidate at the time, was Song Cheol-ho, who is said to be a ‘friend of Moon’s for 30 years. Many government officials are alleged to have improperly interfered in the election.” A Surprising Reason Why the Trial Has Not Progressed