Im Jong-seok, a former chief of staff for preceding President Moon Jae-in, appeared before prosecutors Tuesday over allegations surrounding Moon’s former son-in-law, condemning the prosecution probe as a “political retaliation.”

Im arrived at the Jeonju District Prosecutors Office in Jeonju, about 190 kilometers south of Seoul, at 1:30 p.m. to be questioned as a witness about the suspicion that Moon’s ex-son-in-law was unfairly hired as an airline executive in exchange for favors for the firm’s founder. Im served as Moon’s top secretary from May 2017 to January 2019.

Prosecutors reportedly asked Im whether he played any role in the appointment of Lee Sang-jik, founder of South Korean budget carrier Eastar Jet and its Thai affiliate, Thai Eastar Jet, as head of the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME) in 2018. Following Lee’s appointment, Moon’s then son-in-law, surnamed Seo, was hired as an executive director of Thai Eastar Jet, triggering skepticism about its background.

Prosecutors suspect that the de
cision to appoint Lee as the KOSME chief was probably made during an informal meeting of presidential secretaries in late 2017.

Before entering the prosecution office, Im told reporters that the investigation against the preceding government is obviously “excessive and political” and appears to reflect President Yoon Suk Yeol’s intentions. He then warned that everyone will be unhappy if the politically retaliatory investigation continues.

Source: Yonhap News Agency