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Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in indicted in bribery case
South Korea's prosecution service has indicted former president Moon Jae-in on bribery charges linked to his former son-in-law's controversial appointment to a top airline post.
Allegations against Moon
According to prosecutors, Moon's former son-in-law, identified only by the surname Seo, was hired as executive director of Thai Eastar Jet in 2018, despite having no notable experience in aviation. The appointment allegedly came in exchange for Eastar Jet founder and former lawmaker Lee Sang-jik being named head of the state-run Korea SMEs and Startups Agency that same year.
Prosecutors claim this deal was orchestrated to indirectly benefit Moon.
Seo reportedly received around 217 million won in salary and housing support between 2018 and 2020. A Reuters report cited by prosecutors noted that Seo frequently absented himself from his duties and failed to perform in a capacity commensurate with his role.
Yoon Suk Yeol removed from office
Just weeks ago, former President Yoon Suk Yeol was removed from office after declaring martial law—a move that sparked public outrage. He, too, now faces criminal charges.
Moon joins Yoon and other former South Korean presidents who have faced prosecution. South Korea's first female president, Park Geun-hye, was impeached in 2017 following a high-profile corruption scandal involving her confidante Choi Soon-sil. She was sentenced to a combined 22 years in prison before being pardoned on health and humanitarian grounds in December 2021.
Moon's immediate predecessor, Lee Myung-bak, was convicted of embezzlement and bribery, receiving a 17-year sentence in 2018. He was released early through a presidential pardon in 2022, also citing health issues. Moon's political mentor, Roh Moo-hyun, also faced a corruption probe linked to his family after leaving office and died by suicide in 2009. Earlier, former military rulers Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo were convicted in 1996 for mutiny, treason, and corruption related to the 1979 coup and the 1980 Gwangju massacre. Chun's death sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment, while Roh received a 17-year sentence. Both were pardoned in 1997 as part of a national reconciliation effort led by then-president Kim Young-sam with the support of president-elect Kim Dae-jung.
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NDTV
5 hours ago
- NDTV
Why South Korea's New Leader May Be On A Collision Course With Donald Trump
The new South Korean president, Lee Jae-myung, calls himself a foreign policy 'pragmatist'. He says he is driven by South Korea's national interest, rather than ideology, and has spoken of his desire to improve relations with China and North Korea. Under the former president, Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea's relationship with these countries came under increasing strain. Yoon adopted a confrontational stance toward North Korea, and openly sided with Washington in its rivalry with Beijing. Lee's vision may bring his government into conflict with the Trump administration. On the campaign trail, Lee sought to dispel doubts about his commitment to the longstanding military alliance between the US and South Korea. He repeatedly described Seoul's relationship with Washington as the 'basic axis of our diplomacy'. But he signalled that there would be some rebalancing of relations under his leadership, stressing that South Korea should not rely solely on the US. This reflects the fundamental belief of liberal politicians in South Korea. While acknowledging the importance of ties with the US, they want a more balanced relationship with other regional powers like China. Lee says closer relations with China will occur within the framework of South Korea's alliance with the US. But, with Washington and Beijing battling for global influence, this is still likely to become a major point of tension with the US. The Trump administration has taken a hawkish approach towards China and wants its allies to do the same. Lee, for his part, has stated that South Korea should not be forced to choose between the US and China, saying: 'We should not put all our eggs in one basket'. And he has signalled that his government will resist efforts by Washington to draw South Korea into any conflict with China over Taiwan or territorial disputes in the South China Sea. The Lee government clearly has a delicate balancing act ahead when it comes to the two superpowers. Trump has previously criticised the amount South Korea pays for the US forces stationed on its soil, while recent reports suggest he is considering the withdrawal of about 4,500 US troops from the country. Relations with Pyongyang Another of Lee's pressing foreign policy issues is how to deal with the North Korean threat. Yoon's government avoided dialogue with the North and encouraged the spread of outside information across the border. Over the past decade, in response to North Korea's improved nuclear and missile capabilities, public opinion in South Korea has shifted in favour of developing an independent nuclear weapons programme. This is not a strategy the Lee government will pursue. The Democratic party, of which Lee is a member, has historically advocated a policy of engagement and peaceful coexistence with North Korea. From 1998 to 2008, and then again from 2017 to 2022, liberal governments in South Korea pursued a so-called 'sunshine policy' towards the North. The goal was to reduce tension through engagement, with the ultimate goal being to create the conditions for unification. In his inaugural address on June 4, Lee said his government would deal with North Korean aggression with 'strong deterrence' – referring to the military alliance with the US. But he also elaborated on the need to again reopen channels of communication with North Korea to deliver peace through talks and cooperation. He added: 'Peace is always cheaper than war'. In a signal of his intent for renewed engagement with the North, Lee has nominated the former unification minister, Lee Jong-seok, as chief of the National Intelligence Service. Lee Jong-seok was the architect of South Korea's policy towards the North between 2003 and 2008, during the presidency of Roh Moo-hyun. However, the geopolitical landscape has changed in recent years. In January 2024, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared South Korea an 'enemy' nation and said the North would no longer be working toward reunification. North Korea has since then stopped any contact with the South and has ceased any economic collaboration. South Korea's sunshine policy had seen the development of projects such as the Kaesong Industrial Complex, which involved South Korean businesses establishing factories in North Korea and employing North Korean workers. North Korea is a foreign policy issue in which the Trump administration and the Lee government may pursue similar objectives. Trump has also signalled that he is seeking to renew dialogue with North Korea, and has hinted at the possibility of future summits to discuss a nuclear agreement. Trump's first term saw him become the first US president to meet with a North Korean leader while in office, though he ultimately made no progress in restraining North Korea's nuclear programme. Kim is very unlikely to be responsive to efforts by either country to engage in dialogue. North Korea has forged a close partnership with Russia in recent years, which has even seen it send troops to fight against Ukraine, and no longer considers engagement with the US or South Korea necessary. It is instead banking on making significant advances in military technology. Russian assistance has reportedly already contributed to improvements in North Korea's missile guidance systems, while Russia has also supplied North Korea with advanced air defence systems. The new Lee government faces a very challenging international environment. The North Korean threat is growing, the US security guarantee is weakening, and it will have to resist Trump's attempts to draw South Korea into a regional military network to contain China. How it meets all of these challenges will become clear in the months and years ahead.
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Time of India
North Korea raises capsized warship after failed launch
The satellite image shows North Korea's new naval destroyer on May 24 in Chongjin, North Korea (Image credit: AP) North Korea 's state news agency KCNA said it had lifted upright a capsized 5,000-ton naval destroyer on Saturday, after a failed launch in May. The ship is now moored at a pier in the northeastern port of Chongjin. Experts will now look at its hull. South Korean intelligence and satellite imagery also suggested that the ship was in an upright position in the harbour, according to the 38North website. What else do we know about the destroyer? KCNA quoted Jo Chun Ryong, a senior official from the ruling Workers' Party, as saying that the "perfect restoration of the destroyer will be completed without fail" this month, a deadline set by leader Kim Jong Un . Kim, who saw the destroyer as a crucial asset, had called the failed launch a "criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility, and unscientific empiricism." An investigation was launched and four officials were arrested. Outside observers remain unclear on how the naval destroyer could have been damaged. KCNA said last month that an underwater and internal inspection of the warship revealed the damage was "not serious." North Korea's naval arsenal: The ship is Pyongyang's second known destroyer, after the Choe Hyon, which was unveiled last month. State media reports said it is capable of carrying different weapons, including nuclear missiles. Seoul's military intelligence said the Choe Hyon could have been developed with Russian assistance, in exchange for North Korean troops helping Moscow's war in Ukraine.
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Business Standard
13 hours ago
- Business Standard
North Korea raises capsized destroyer upright as it continues repairs
Satellite images taken Thursday by Planet Labs PBC analysed by The Associated Press showed the stricken destroyer upright and floating, the damage was not immediatly clear in the images AP Seoul North Korea said Friday it had righted a capsized destroyer and moored it at a pier in the northeastern port of Chongjin as it continues to repair the new warship leader Kim Jong Un has described as a significant asset for his nuclear-armed military. The report by North Korean state media aligned with South Korean military assessments and recent commercial satellite images. North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said experts will closely examine the ship's hull before beginning the next phase of restoration, which will take place at a dry dock at the neighbouring port of Rajin and is expected to last seven to 10 days. Satellite images taken Thursday by Planet Labs PBC analysed by The Associated Press showed the stricken destroyer upright and floating. It wasn't immediately clear from the image just how much damage had been done to the vessel, which had been in the water for days after the failed launch. However, the ship did not appear to be noticeably listing, meaning Pyongyang is likely able to send it onward to the other port to inspect the vessel's electronics. Jo Chun Ryong, a senior official from the ruling Workers' Party, told the agency that the perfect restoration of the destroyer will be completed without fail before a major party congress in late June, a deadline set by Kim. Outside experts say it remains unclear how severely the 5,000-ton-class destroyer was damaged during a botched launching ceremony in late May, which triggered a furious response from Kim, who called the failure a criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility, and unscientific empiricism. North Korean law enforcement authorities have detained at least four officials over the incident, including the vice director of the Workers' Party's munitions industry department, according to state media. The North's main military committee said those responsible would be held accountable for their unpardonable criminal act. Lee Sung Joon, spokesperson for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters Thursday that the South's military assesses that the North Koreans righted the ship earlier this week and are likely conducting drainage operations while examining the damage. The nature and duration of the repair process will vary, depending on internal repairs, additional work or whether the incident affected the keel, Lee said, referring to the ship's structural backbone. This could also affect how the ship is used going forward. The damaged warship was North Korea's second known destroyer and seen as a crucial asset toward Kim's goal of modernizing its naval forces. It was in the same class as the country's first destroyer unveiled in April, which experts assessed as the North's largest and most advanced warship to date. Kim lavishly praised that ship, which was launched in the western port of Nampo, saying it advances his goal of expanding the military's operations range and nuclear strike capabilities. State media described that ship as designed to handle various weapons systems, including anti-air and anti-ship weapons as well as nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles. Kim also supervised test-firings of missiles from the destroyer afterward, and state media said the ship was expected to enter active duty early next year. While North Korea's naval forces are widely seen as far inferior to those of its rivals, analysts say a destroyer equipped with modern missile and radar systems could still boost the North's offensive and defensive capabilities. South Korean officials and experts say the North's destroyer was likely built with Russian assistance as the two countries' military cooperation have intensified amid Russian President Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine. Kim's government has supplied Russia with thousands of troops and large shipments of military equipment, including artillery and ballistic missiles, to support its warfighting. Washington and Seoul have expressed concern that, in return, Kim may seek Russian technology transfers that could enhance the threat posed by his nuclear-armed military. Kim met with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang on Wednesday in the latest sign of the countries' deepening ties. Kim has framed his arms buildup as a response to perceived threats from the United States and South Korea, which have been expanded joint military exercises in reaction to the North's advancing nuclear program. Kim says the acquisition of a nuclear-powered submarine would be his next big step in strengthening the North Korean navy. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
