Airline didn't hire ex-President Moon's former son-in-law as quid pro quo, top aide says

Former President Moon Jae-in's chief of staff Im Jong-seok denied allegations that Moon's former son-in-law was hired at an airline in exchange for government favors for the company as he appeared for questioning by prosecutors on Tuesday.

Im Jong-seok, who served as former President Moon Jae-in's chief of staff, arrives for questioning at the Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office in Jeonju, North Jeolla, on Tuesday afternoon. [YONHAP]

Former President Moon Jae-in's chief of staff Im Jong-seok denied allegations that Moon's former son-in-law was hired at an airline in exchange for a government position for the company’s founder as he appeared for questioning by prosecutors on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters as he arrived at the Jeonju District Prosecutors’ Office in Jeonju, North Jeolla, at 1:40 p.m., Im criticized prosecutors for “conducting investigations driven by the desire to take revenge against the previous administration” since current President Yoon Suk Yeol took office.

Im, who served as Moon’s first chief of staff from May 2018 to December 2019, faces questions from prosecutors regarding his role in the appointment of Eastar Jet founder Lee Sang-jik as head of the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (Kosme) in 2018.

Lee’s appointment became controversial after Moon’s son-in-law at the time, identified in local media only by his surname Seo, was later hired as an executive director at Eastar Jet’s planned Thai subsidiary despite having no experience in the airline industry.

Seo divorced the president’s daughter, Moon Da-hye, in 2021, according to local media reports.

Prosecutors, who suspect Lee’s appointment as Kosme chief was decided during a meeting of presidential aides at the Blue House in late 2017, have also questioned Cho Hyun-ock, who served as Moon’s senior presidential secretary for personnel affairs from May 2017 to May 2018.

While Seo appeared for questioning three times, he exercised his right to remain silent each time, according to prosecution officials.

But in his comments to reporters, Im denied the allegations that Lee and Seo’s appointments were decided on a quid pro quo basis.

“The process for selecting the chief of Kosme merely followed the same steps as all other presidential appointments,” he said, adding that prosecutors should “stop fanning suspicions by joining puzzle pieces that don’t even go together.”

Im further accused prosecutors of vying for the president’s favor by pursuing investigations against former Moon administration officials.

He called on Vice Justice Minister Shim Woo-jung, who is Yoon’s pick as the next prosecutor general, to “restore public trust in the state prosecution service by halting reckless revenge-based investigations.”

Im also claimed in a post uploaded to Facebook the previous day that the investigation into Lee’s appointment process was initiated by “politically minded prosecutors” who have already “sketched out a conspiracy that suits their political purposes.”

Yoon, who served as prosecutor general from July 2019 to March 2021, initially enjoyed good relations with Moon until he pursued an investigation into allegations that then-Justice Minister nominee Cho Kuk and his wife had falsified their children’s academic credentials.

Liberals have since accused the state prosecution service of meddling in politics by conducting biased criminal probes and called for curbing its investigative powers.

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]