South Korean prosecutors request former President Moon to appear, but he is reluctant to do so if the investigation is conducted in writing

It was revealed that South Korean prosecutors, investigating allegations of special treatment given to former President Moon Jae-in's son-in-law, called Moon to appear in February of this year.
When his house was searched, the search warrant specified Moon as a suspect in the bribery case. However, Moon did not respond to the request to appear, so the prosecution decided to conduct a written investigation.
According to a report by the Korea Times on the 31st of last month, the prosecution sent a written questionnaire to Moon. In January of this year, South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol was indicted by the prosecution on charges of masterminding a civil war.
This is the first time that a sitting president has been arrested and indicted in South Korea, but it is not uncommon for former presidents to be arrested after leaving office, and he is the only one of the three living former presidents who has not been arrested.
The president of South Korea, who holds absolute power, is easily the target of criticism from opposition forces seeking a change of government. In South Korea, whenever a government changes, the "political report" system intensifies investigations into corruption by the previous government.
The "revenge" has been repeated. Thus, former President Lee Myung-bak was arrested on charges of bribery, and his successor, former President Park Geun-hye, was arrested on charges of accepting bribes from Korean conglomerates.
Meanwhile, Moon, who became president after Park, has not been arrested even after leaving office. Before and after leaving office, Moon said about his life, "I will not get involved in politics and will live as an ordinary citizen. I go to a nearby temple.
"I want to live my life doing things like going to the mountains, climbing the Alps, tending to my vegetable garden, and raising dogs, cats, and chickens," he said. He also said, "I want to be forgotten," drawing attention.
He hoped to live a peaceful life like an ordinary person without any stress. True to his words, Moon frequently posted pictures of himself working in the fields on social media. In 2023, he will be residing in Gyeongsangnam-do, a southeastern district of the city.
He opened a bookstore that he produced himself near his private residence in Pyeongsan Village, Yangsan City, South Gyeongsang Province.
On the other hand, he has been frequently involved in political activities and statements recently.
At his residence, Moon received a courtesy visit from Lee Jae-myung, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. Moon said, "In today's extreme political environment, integration and inclusion are the key to paving the way for the Democratic Party.
"I strongly sympathize with this and I hope that the Democratic Party and Chairman Lee will continue to work hard," he said, encouraging Lee.
"I will do that," he said in an interview with the South Korean newspaper Hankyoreh in February. According to the article, Moon said that President Yun Seok-yeol had declared "emergency martial law" in December last year, and that
Referring to the series of events that led to Yoon's impeachment, he said, "I spent sleepless nights feeling an indescribable sense of guilt after seeing the recent martial law and impeachment incident." He also said, "Overall, I think the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's birth was a terrible disaster."
"I am sorry to the people for having allowed this to happen," he said. Moon also mentioned this on social media when President Yoon was arrested in January. He called it a "victory achieved by the enormous solidarity of ordinary citizens" and
Regarding his declaration of "emergency martial law," he said, "It has been extremely painful and embarrassing, but we must use this as a new start."
As mentioned above, Moon is the only one of the last four South Korean presidents who has not been arrested, but he is not without suspicion.
In 2018, a former member of the Democratic Party of Korea National Assembly was accused of illegally hiring Moon's daughter's husband as an executive officer of an airline company he established in Thailand. The daughter's home and other properties were searched.
It is suspected that in return for helping his daughter's family move to Thailand, he appointed a former lawmaker as chairman of a government-affiliated corporation. The prosecution also said that Moon's daughter's former husband had no work experience in the aviation industry.
The prosecution is investigating whether these payments amount to 8 million won (about 900,000 yen) a month in compensation as an executive, and whether these payments amount to more than 200 million won in compensation amount to bribery from former lawmakers to Moon.
When the warrant for the search of his daughter's home was filed, Moon was listed as a suspect in the bribery case. The prosecution then called Moon to appear in court in February. Moon did not comply with the request, but Moon said he would cooperate with the written investigation.
The prosecution sent a questionnaire for written investigation because Moon showed a willingness to do so. According to South Korean media, a prosecution official said, "We would like to confirm former President Moon's position on the case through written investigation."
Meanwhile, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, to which Moon belongs, has protested, calling the move "political oppression by the Yoon Seok-yeol administration against the previous administration."
In an editorial dated the 31st of last month, the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo said, "Moon has been
"The prosecution and police were mobilized to thoroughly investigate the past administration. More than 200 people, including the two former presidents, were arrested," he said, adding, "If they did such a thing, they should at least
He must explain the allegations of wrongdoing against his family members," he said, calling for a serious response.