Ex-commander becomes headache for Moon Jae-in

By Choi Ha-young

Chun In-bum

Leading presidential contender Moon Jae-in is taking flak over his recruitment of former commander of the Special Warfare Command (SWC), Chun In-bum, as a key campaigner.

Days after Chun joined Moon’s campaign, a district court found his wife Shim Hwa-jin, president of Sungshin Women’s University, guilty of embezzling school funds and sentenced her to one year in prison, Wednesday. His wife was imprisoned immediately after.

The verdict from the Seoul Northern District Court reads, “Shim is unlikely to flee, but we don’t rule out the possibility that she could commit a similar crime again.”

Moon recruited Chun, a retired Army lieutenant general who reportedly has maintained close relationships with senior U.S. military officials, as his adviser for security policies last week. Chun, who speaks English fluently, is known as a firm supporter of the planned deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system in South Korea.

What made his wife’s case more viral was Chun’s previous comment on social media, in which he said, “If my wife did anything wrong, I would shoot her with a pistol.”

Following the conviction of his wife, Chun said, “I apologize for the scandal involving my wife. However, I will continue to work for Moon.”

Now, various allegations are surfacing against Chun.

The Center for Military Human Rights Korea, a civic group, recently claimed, “In 2014, Chun directed training to experience the situation of a war prisoner, despite subordinates’ calls for a delay, and two soldiers suffocated to death.”

Four soldiers in charge of the deaths were fined. Chun only received a written warning.

There are also allegations that he mobilized Sungshin Women’s University employees for a celebration when he was promoted to major general.

Joining Moon’s camp, Chun said he decided to work for Moon after being disappointed with the military’s decision to cut the budget for knives for special forces.

However, the Ministry of National Defense refuted Chun’s claim.

“We decided to buy the knives in January 2015, and will fully adopt the weapon by 2022,” Moon Sang-kyun, spokesman of the ministry, said Monday in a regular briefing. “It seems Chun was not updated on this after his retirement last summer.”