Former President Moon Jae-in. [Yonhap]
Former President Moon Jae-in. [Yonhap]

Former President Moon Jae-in, indicted on bribery charges related to his former son-in-law's airline employment and salary payments, will stand trial before a citizen jury in January. The court has named 15 witnesses, including Moon's daughter Dah-hye and her ex-husband.

Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 21, presided over by Chief Judge Jo Sun-pyo, held the seventh pretrial hearing Tuesday in the case against Moon and former lawmaker Lee Sang-jik.

The court set the citizen jury trial to run for about two weeks, from Jan. 11 to Jan. 29. Moon's legal team and Lee's defense had requested the jury trial in August last year.

A total of 15 witnesses were approved, including Moon Dah-hye and her former husband, identified by his surname Seo. The court estimated witness examinations would require about five and a half days and capped each session at three hours per witness.

The court said it named Moon Dah-hye as a witness because "it would look strange for a key party named in the indictment not to appear in court."

Moon faces bribery charges in connection with approximately 217 million won ($157,000) that Seo allegedly received in salary and living expenses in Thailand after joining Thai Eastar Jet — a company Lee is believed to have actually owned — between August 2018 and April 2020.

Thai Eastar Jet was an overseas subsidiary of Eastar Jet, which Lee is also alleged to have been the true owner of. Lee served as chairman of the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency under the Moon administration.

Prosecutors believe Moon benefited financially by cutting off the living allowance he had been providing to his daughter and son-in-law after Seo secured the job. Lee faces separate charges of causing financial harm to the company through Seo's hiring and of providing a bribe.

The court plans to hold two more pretrial hearings in October and November to continue screening evidence not directly related to the charges.


yeonjoo7@heraldcorp.com