Former South Korean President Indicted for Bribery
Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in was indicted on bribery charges on Thursday.
The move by prosecutors makes him the latest in a growing list of former leaders of the East Asian nation to find themselves in legal hot water.
This case is linked to the appointment of his then son-in-law to a lucrative no-show job at a budget Thai airline during his term of office.
The 72-year-old was indicted in the same case in which a former lawmaker named Lee Sang-jik was also charged with bribery and breach of trust, the Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office said in
Prosecutors had been investigating whether Lee's appointment as the head of the SMEs and Startups Agency was in exchange for Moon's former son-in-law getting a job and receiving a salary plus living expenses at Thai Eastar Jet between 2018 and 2020, the statement outlined.
The prosecution alleges that the money the former son-in-law received as an executive director, 5.95 million baht ($177,506), was irregular and constituted a bribe to Moon, who was then the president.
Related Stories
4/20/2025
4/8/2025
Prosecutors said the son-in-law spent only brief periods of time at the company's office in Thailand and performed minor duties during a period he claimed to be working remotely from South Korea.
The prosecutors' office said it had not found evidence that Moon directly performed political favors for Lee but said that Lee, who worked on Moon's campaign, likely expected his assistance to be repaid.
Moon's daughter and her husband are now divorced, according to the
Prosecutors cited previous bribery cases involving former Presidents Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak, both of whom were convicted and jailed, as legal precedent.
Moon, Lee, and their legal representatives have yet to comment, but Moon's allies in the main liberal opposition Democratic Party criticized the indictment, calling it a politically motivated attempt by supporters of his successor, Yoon Suk Yeol, at the prosecution service to humiliate the former liberal leader ahead of the upcoming snap election.
South Koreans are heading to the polls in June after Yoon was ousted over attempting to impose martial law in December.
The former top prosecutor now stands accused of rebellion and insurrection, charges he denies.
A Democratic Party committee separately warned it would hold the prosecution service to account for its indictment.
The liberal-leaning Lee Jae-myung from Moon's Democratic Party is the current frontrunner in opinion polls, and his campaign called the indictment political retribution by the prosecution and a clampdown on the previous administration.
Youn Kun-young, a lawmaker and a close aide to Moon, accused the prosecution in a
Moon, a liberal lawyer and a civil rights activist, was president between 2017 and 2022.
He is known for his push to reconcile with North Korea, meeting with Kim Jong Un three times, and facilitating the start of diplomacy between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump during his first term in the White House.
Moon's supporters credit him with achieving the now-stalled cooperation with North Korea and avoiding major armed clashes with the regime in Pyongyang.
However, his opponents accused him of being a naive North Korean sympathizer who ended up helping Kim buy time to advance his nuclear program in the face of international sanctions.
Over the past two decades, a string of South Korean leaders have faced trials or scandals for the most part toward the end of their terms or after leaving office.
In 2017, Park Geun-hye, the country's first female president, was ousted and arrested over a corruption scandal. She was tried, convicted, and sentenced to 20 years in prison before she received a presidential pardon from Moon.
Park's conservative predecessor, Lee Myung-bak, was also arrested on a range of crimes, years after leaving office, while Moon's friend and former liberal President Roh Moo-hyun jumped to his death in 2009 amid a corruption investigation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Cindy Holscher is first major Kansas Democrat to declare for 2026 governor race
The first major Democratic candidate has declared for the 2026 Kansas governor's race: state Sen. Cindy Holscher. Holscher, D-Overland Park, announced her candidacy June 12. "Like the majority of Kansans, I just want to take a common sense approach to government and making sure that we are serving the people and working in their best interest, not extremist agendas and not dark money groups," Holscher said in an interview with The Capital-Journal. "My desire is to listen to the people and work for their best interests." Holscher has served in the Senate since 2021 and before that spent four years in the House. While a handful of big-name and longshot Republicans have declared for the GOP field — most notably Secretary of State Scott Schwab and former Gov. Jeff Colyer — no major Democratic candidates had declared. The race to replace term-limited Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly is still taking shape and more announcements are expected. The filing deadline isn't until June 2026. Holscher said some party insiders had encouraged her to wait, telling her "if a Republican comes in and does all the damage that we think they'll do, then it'll be easier for a Democrat or the party to win in 2030." But Holscher said she believes the next election is critical. "We have to make sure we have some balance in the Statehouse in terms of having a Democratic governor again to provide a check on some of the horrible policies that likely will come forward from the extremists who have control," she said. She made the decision to run for governor after traveling across the state in recent months. "Not so much to explore running for governor," she said, "but really at the end of session, I started receiving phone calls from areas saying that sometimes the local legislators wouldn't show up for town halls, or federal officials, and so I started getting invitations to come do a legislative overview." During those events, she has heard from Kansans. "What I'm hearing from voters is that they're expressing fear, they're expressing anxiety over the cuts that have been made on the federal level, and they're worried about what can happen on the state level," she said. "We have an extremist Legislature, and the concern is that that agenda will be brought to the state level, and without a Democratic governor there, those things won't be stopped." So what issues is Holscher running on? "Voters are very focused on making sure they have a leader who will protect Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, veterans and farmers," she said. "They want to make sure that their schools are funded, that has been part of the key to the success of Kansas. ... In terms of cost of living, the concerns I'm hearing are access to affordable child care, access to affordable housing, just some of those basics kitchen table issues." Holscher grew up on a farm and comes from a family of veterans. "I come from very humble roots. ... I want to make sure that everybody out there has the same opportunity to be successful in life and to have a shot at the American dream," she said. She and her husband of 33 years have three children, and the youngest just graduated from high school. "All of them are products of excellent public schools here in Kansas," she said. The family had moved to the Kansas City area, where Holscher worked at Sprint as "the head of the department that developed budgets" for operations west of the Mississippi River. "Revenue-wise, we're talking about budgets larger than what we do at the state Capitol," she said. Holscher entered politics at the urging of her daughter. The family had moved to Kansas in part because "the school were great," Holscher said. But then, "about the time we had kids going into school, that's when the Brownback experiment was happening. Our schools were losing teachers because of the budget crisis and underfunding, we didn't have paras, we didn't have janitors, we didn't have supplies." Then one weekend during a trip to Target, her oldest daughter saw one of her teachers working there. "She asked me why her teacher was working at Target on a weekend after having worked a full-time job all week and she had a family, and I remember telling her we were in a budget crisis and our schools were underfunded and her teacher probably wasn't making enough money to pay the bills," Holscher said. "My daughter looked at me and said, 'You go fix that.'" Holscher said she has taken a collaborative approach to politics. "My first term (I) was a co-founder of the women's bipartisan caucus, and we worked to formulate the plan that ended the Brownback tax experiment," she said. "So obviously, when you're talking about a Legislature that has a majority of the other party, collaboration, reaching across the aisle, is going to be very important." Democrats have performed better in northeast Kansas communities like the Kansas City metro, Lawrence and Topeka. Appealing to voters in other parts of the state starts with "actually going to those places," she said. "I grew up in a rural area, so I enjoy going to those areas," she said. "And at the heart of it, a lot of our issues are the same. Sometimes we don't always see that, but a lot of our issues are the same. But I think it also helps too in respect that my district that I serve is Republican leaning. That obviously kind of makes a difference in having an understanding of who all you are serving. "I'm not here just to serve a certain segment. I'm here to serve all Kansans." Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for The Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jalatidd@ Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd. This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Cindy Holscher is first major Kansas Democrat in 2026 governor's race
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Why ‘Hellcats' could be the answer to Democrats troubles
When Rep. Mikie Sherrill won the New Jersey gubernatorial primary on Tuesday, the 'Hellcats' group chat of aspiring female congresswomen lit up in celebration. All four women in the "Hellcats" chat — named after the first female Marines who served in World War I — have military experience and are running for Congress in 2026. Sherrill, as a former Navy helicopter pilot, offers some much-needed inspiration for the party's next generation of candidates. Democrats, looking to turn around their struggling brand and retake the House in 2026, point to Sherrill and presumptive Virginia Democratic gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger, a former congresswoman and CIA officer, as reasons the party will do well. Sherril and Spanberger are held up as the model for how the party might turn the tables — running moderate, former veterans and national security officials in tough districts who can say they 'have put their country ahead of their party,' said Dan Sena, who served as the executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2018. 'Candidates with records of service showed in 2018 their ability to win in the most challenging districts and states in the country,' Sena added. 'This cycle, the same dynamics are playing out with those kinds of candidates.' Democrats say these House candidates can point to their political aspirations as an extension of their public service that began in the military or national security realm, and bristle at Republicans claiming MAGA is equivalent to patriotism. 'Right now, especially as this administration continues to create more chaos and dismantle our democracy, you're seeing veterans continuing to answer the call to serve their country,' said JoAnna Mendoza, a retired US Marine who served in combat, now running to challenge Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.). Mendoza is a member of the 'Hellcats' group chat, along with Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy officer who is taking on Rep. Tom Kean (R-N.J.), Maura Sullivan, a former Marine looking to replace Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) and Cait Conley, an Army veteran and former National Security Council official, who is up against Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.). Democrats say these candidates bring in necessary enthusiasm that translates to fundraising. In Pennsylvania, Ryan Croswell, a Marine and federal prosecutor who resigned when President Donald Trump pressured him to drop charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams, raised more than $215,000 in the first 48 hours after announcing his campaign on Monday, one of the biggest launch hauls that the party has seen this cycle. Spanberger posted a selfie on X just minutes after her one-time Washington roommate Sherrill won her primary race in New Jersey on Tuesday. The pair is using their profiles as a springboard to higher office, after many of them helped Democrats flip the House in 2018. In Michigan, former CIA analyst Sen. Elissa Slotkin fought off GOP Rep. Mike Rogers, himself an Army veteran, in a state that Kamala Harris lost in 2024. New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim, a former Department of State adviser on Afghanistan, easily won his election for the seat once held by former Sen. Bob Menendez, who was convicted of federal corruption charges. 'Patriotism is a value that the Democrats shouldn't be afraid to talk about,' said Jared Leopold, a former communications director for the Democratic Governors Association. 'It is a productive conversation for Democrats to lead on as an entry point to the kitchen table issues of the day.' Democratic candidates with national security backgrounds mitigate one of the party's biggest liabilities — a perception that Democrats are weak. Democratic-run focus groups held after the 2024 election found voters across the spectrum saw the party as overly focused on the elite and too cautious. Voters regularly cite Republicans as the party they trust with national security issues in public polling, and the GOP bench of veterans elected to office runs deep. But serving in the military or for the administration in a national security capacity 'inoculates them from attacks that they're not tough,' said Amanda Litman, co-founder of Run For Something, a group that recruits young people to run for office. 'It helps them ward off that opposition without having to say it out loud,' Litman continued. 'Former Navy helicopter pilot, prosecutor — those are inherently tough, so that means women candidates don't have to posture, they can just be, because it's baked into their resumes.' Of course, Republicans have, at times, effectively turned it against them. Former Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, for instance, highlighted his military experience but also faced "swift boat" attacks. More recently, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's military record came under scrutiny when he was elevated to the vice presidential nomination. Bennett, who is also a current member of the Air National Guard, believes her dual identity as a veteran and mother gives her a unique appeal to voters, and a natural way to discuss financial strains like high daycare costs. 'I truly led in some of the most challenging environments that exist in this world,' she said. 'And, I'm a mom too, and I fundamentally understand the issues and challenges that families are facing.'
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Newsom comes with too much baggage. Democrats need a new voice for 2028.
Newsom comes with too much baggage. Democrats need a new voice for 2028. | Opinion 2026 midterm elections will indicate how much their popularity recovers after more than a year of Trump 2.0 in office, but Democrats need to begin strategizing now. Show Caption Hide Caption Karine Jean-Pierre talks exit from Democratic party in new book Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre talks about leaving the Democratic party in her upcoming book slated for release in October. The Democratic Party is facing low popularity following the failed Kamala Harris campaign and revelations about the cover-up of President Biden's decline. Potential Democratic presidential candidates like Pete Buttigieg and Gavin Newsom face challenges due to their association with the Biden administration and progressive policies. Republicans have a clearer path to 2028 with potential candidates like JD Vance, Marco Rubio and Ron DeSantis. Democrats' best hope for 2028 lies in a fresh candidate, distanced from the Biden administration and holding more moderate views. Despite the busy news cycle of President Donald Trump's young second administration, I can't help but look to 2028, which looks to be the first election where both parties have a new presidential candidate since 2016. Republicans seem to have some form of succession plan, with Vice President JD Vance looming in the wake of Trump's final term. But Democrats are in a much more difficult position, with numerous baggage and imperfect candidates. Democrats will need new voices, free from the baggage of Joe Biden's presidency and the woke era, to win America's trust. Democrats will have a ton of baggage to deal with in 2028 The Democratic Party as a whole is facing a record low in popularity in the wake of Kamala Harris' failed presidential campaign and more information about the cover-up of Biden's decline. The 2028 midterm elections will indicate how much the Democrats' popularity recovers after more than a year of Trump presidency 2.0, but the party needs to begin strategizing now. The people who were complicit in, or at the very least ignored, Biden's decline are the most politically stained. Anybody affiliated with the Biden administration is going to face questions of why they didn't speak up when they knew the president was not capable of fulfilling his duties. Democrats handed Trump a win: Biden didn't deceive Democrats about his decline. It's time to admit the truth. | Opinion As people like former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and California Gov. Gavin Newsom attempt to scramble to the center on cultural issues, they are bound to experience different sets of barriers that keep their electability in check. Buttigieg, due to his involvement with the Biden administration, is going to have to answer whether he knew about Biden's decline, and either how he could have missed it or why he didn't speak up. There is no good answer to any part of that line of questioning. For Newsom, he and other governors have the benefit of distance from the Biden administration, so they have plausible deniability as to what exactly they knew. Newsom also has a long-established record of very progressive policies. During his time as governor of California, he presided over violent racial riots in 2020, as well as higher rising violent crime rates than the rest of the nation. The more recent protests and riots in the streets of Los Angeles under his governorship won't help him to leave that image in the past. Newsom also has baggage on other social issues, including taxpayer-funded health care for illegal immigrants and his past full embrace of transgender ideologies, both of which he has attempted to walk back in recent months. Opinion: Newsom tries to use right-wing influencers to fix his image. Don't fall for it. Harris' troubles on the campaign trail of differentiating herself from Biden's decline and her own progressive record should be a warning to Democrats. These are going to be difficult mistakes to overcome as a presidential candidate. I know Republicans have issues, but Democrats need a new voice Republicans have a similar predicament in 2028, but they have politicians at the ready who are capable of winning the presidency. Vance represents a continuation of the MAGA movement, but if Republicans decide they are a bit tired of full-blown MAGA politics, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are both likely to eye a presidential bid. Regardless of how the second Trump administration ages with voters, the GOP has options for 2028. Republicans have a clearer chain of succession than Democrats, even if Vance and Rubio will have to answer for any issues with the second Trump administration. Whitmer for president? As a Michigan taxpayer, here's why voters should stay away. | Opinion Still, Democrats have some hope. The Democratic Party is ripe for a surprise candidate to emerge in the next two years to pursue the presidency. While the political climate is different, Democrats need to look for an emerging candidate, similar to the one they had in 2008, when Barack Obama defeated Hillary Clinton in the primary and went on to win the White House twice. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. Somebody as dissociated with the Biden presidency as possible has a strong advantage, as does someone with a more moderate record. Governors, or newly elected senators, are the best chance for the Democrats. I predict that the Democrats' nominee in 2028 is someone not yet on people's radars, and that would be the best possible outcome for them. The baggage that Democrats have will weigh them down in 2028. It is best if they find someone without those ankle weights. Dace Potas is an opinion columnist for USA TODAY and a graduate of DePaul University with a degree in political science.
