South Korea's prosecution service has charged former president Moon Jae-in with bribery related to the controversial appointment of his former son-in-law to a high-ranking position at an airline.

As per prosecutors, Moon’s former son-in-law, referred to only as Seo, was hired in 2018 as the executive director of Thai Eastar Jet, even though he had no significant experience in aviation. It is alleged that this appointment was part of a deal, where Eastar Jet's founder and former lawmaker Lee Sang-jik was made the head of the state-run Korea SMEs and Startups Agency that same year. 

Prosecutors argue that this arrangement was designed to indirectly benefit Moon. Between 2018 and 2020, Seo reportedly received about 217 million won in salary and housing support. According to a Reuters report cited by the prosecutors, Seo was often absent from his work and did not perform duties matching his role. The scandal has also involved Lee Sang-jik, who had previously been sentenced to six years in prison for embezzlement in 2022. Now, he is facing new charges related to bribery and breach of trust.

Just a few weeks ago, former President Yoon Suk Yeol was removed from office after declaring martial law, which caused widespread public anger. He is now facing criminal charges. Yoon now joins a list of former South Korean presidents, including Moon and Park Geun-hye, who have faced legal actions. Park, South Korea’s first female president, was impeached in 2017 due to a corruption scandal involving her close confidante, Choi Soon-sil. She was sentenced to 22 years in prison but was pardoned in December 2021 for health and humanitarian reasons.

Lee Myung-bak, who served before Moon, was convicted in 2018 for embezzlement and bribery, receiving a 17-year sentence. However, he was released in 2022 due to health issues, following a presidential pardon. Moon's political mentor, Roh Moo-hyun, was also investigated for corruption linked to his family after leaving office. Sadly, Roh took his own life in 2009. Earlier, two former military leaders, Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo, were convicted in 1996 for their roles in a 1979 coup and the 1980 Gwangju massacre. Chun’s death sentence was changed to life imprisonment, while Roh got a 17-year sentence. Both were pardoned in 1997 as part of an effort for national reconciliation, led by then-president Kim Young-sam, with the support of president-elect Kim Dae-jung.