"Kim Jae-won Claims President Moon's Son-in-law Worked as Executive at Lee Sang-jik's Company: 'Bribery... Should Be Barred from Leaving the Country'"

Kim Jaewon "Worked as an Executive at Lee Sangjik Lawmaker's Company"
Blue House "Comments Related to Family Are Inappropriate"

Kim Jae-won, Supreme Council Member of the People Power Party, attended the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 19th of last month. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Amid allegations that Moon Jae-in President's son-in-law, Mr. Seo, was employed as a senior executive at a Thai company owned by independent lawmaker Lee Sang-jik, Kim Jae-won, a Supreme Council member of the People Power Party, pointed out, "The fact that he worked as a senior executive itself constitutes bribery."

At the party's Supreme Council meeting on the 2nd, Kim said, "The chairman of the Small and Medium Business Corporation is a position appointed by the Blue House," and claimed, "When lawmaker Lee Sang-jik took the position of chairman of the Small and Medium Business Corporation, he hired the president's son-in-law as a senior executive at his company and paid him a huge salary."

He continued, "I was puzzled when it was said that he (Lawmaker Lee) would return like a phoenix after being arrested, but now various circumstances are emerging," and said, "He served as chairman of the Small and Medium Business Corporation, a position appointed by the Blue House, from March 2018 to January 2020."

He added, "According to the prosecution's investigation, it was confirmed that Thai Star is a company established by the lawmaker," and criticized, "The work Mr. Seo was in charge of there was fundraising. It is highly likely that he was deeply involved in the lawmaker's embezzlement and breach of trust charges."

Previously, Lawmaker Lee was a member of the Democratic Party but left the party after facing charges of embezzling and breaching trust of 55.5 billion won from Eastar Jet following a mass layoff incident.

Additionally, Kim referred to recent media reports that Mr. Seo is currently staying in Korea, saying, "Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo must immediately ban Mr. Seo from leaving the country," and added, "An investigation should begin to determine whether he is an accomplice in bribery and embezzlement."

Cheong Wa Dae panorama. /Photo by Yonhap News

President Moon's son-in-law, Mr. Seo, worked at a securities firm before resigning and joined 'Tori Games,' a mobile game company with about 20 employees, in February 2016. He resigned in March 2018 and reportedly moved to Thailand four months later.

'Thai Star' is known as a company that never officially operated or flew any flights, and its total revenue in 2018 and 2020 was reportedly about 6.6 million won and 15.7 million won, respectively.

Meanwhile, a senior Blue House official, when asked by reporters at the Chuncheon Press Center on the afternoon of the 2nd about the Blue House's stance on Kim's claims, responded, "It is not appropriate to comment on matters related to the president and his family."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.