"The Second 'Nondureong Watch' Offensive Will Begin"... Cho Kuk Criticizes Investigation Against Moon Jae-in

Moon Jae-in Directly Targets Timely Selective Overcriminalization as Suspect
Kim Geon-hee Criticizes Investigation as 'Naeronambul' While Mentioning Dior Bag

Jo Guk, leader of the Jo Guk Innovation Party, criticized the prosecution's designation of former President Moon Jae-in as a suspect after raiding the residence of Moon's daughter Dahye over allegations of preferential hiring at Thai Starjet, calling it "selective over-criminalization" that has started again.

On the 2nd, Jo wrote on his Facebook, "This is a warning that a second 'muddy watch' offensive against President Moon Jae-in and his family will begin." He continued, "The prosecution's logic in investigating President Moon is that he had been supporting the living expenses of his daughter and son-in-law, but after the son-in-law's employment at Eastar Jet, the support stopped. Therefore, the prosecution claims that President Moon benefited by the amount of the son-in-law's salary, and thus it is considered a 'bribe.'"

Cho Kuk, leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, is entering the Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office building on the morning of the 31st to undergo prosecution investigation as a witness.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Earlier, during the investigation into Seo, the former son-in-law of former President Moon, over allegations of preferential hiring at an airline, the Criminal Division 3 of Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office (led by Chief Prosecutor Han Yeon-gyu) raided Dahye's residence in Seoul on the 3rd of last month and named former President Moon as a suspect in the warrant. Seo, who had no practical experience in the airline industry, was controversially employed as an executive director at Thai Starjet, a Thai low-cost airline established by former National Assembly member Lee Sang-jik after Lee became the chairman of the Small and Medium Business Corporation in 2018. The prosecution views the over 200 million KRW in salary Seo received as a bribe to former President Moon. Initially, the investigation was referred to as an 'airline embezzlement and breach of trust case,' but recently it has been renamed as the 'airline preferential hiring and former president's child overseas migration support case.'

Regarding this, Jo said, "This logic is painfully familiar to me," adding, "When I was Chief Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs, I supported my daughter's living expenses, but she received a scholarship (not a merit scholarship, totaling 6 million KRW over three semesters) based on the decision of a supervising professor at Pusan National University Medical School. Therefore, the prosecution claimed that I benefited by 6 million KRW, and thus it was a 'bribe.'" He further noted, "'The bribery charge' was acquitted in the first and second trials," but "the first and second trials recognized guilt under the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act. However, that law has no provisions regarding receipt by children nor any punishment clauses. Even thinking about it now, it's outrageous," he evaluated.

Jo also pointed out, "However, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission and the prosecution dismissed the 'Kim Gun-hee Dior bag receipt case' for the spouse on the grounds that although the elements of the offense exist, there is no punishment clause," calling it "merely a 'token of gratitude.'" He added, "When my daughter's scholarship issue became a problem, the People Power Party and conservative media launched fierce attacks," and "Democratic Party and progressive media either remained silent or criticized me." Finally, he said, "Fortunately, in this case, both the Democratic Party and progressive media are critical," and questioned, "Have they belatedly realized the harm of 'selective over-criminalization'?"

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