President slams opposition candidate's remarks on corruption probe

Moon Jae-in speaks during a luncheon with a group of young people preparing for self-reliance at Cheong Wa Dae, Thursday. Yonhap

Turning deaf ear to Moon's demand for apology, Yoon responds he and Moon are on the same page about corruption investigations

By Nam Hyun-woo

President Moon Jae-in expressed strong resentment toward main opposition People Power Party (PPP) presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol Thursday, who said he would be willing to “investigate if the Moon government was involved in any corruption scandals,” should he be elected.

So far, the President has tried to refrain from commenting on the March 9 presidential election, but he broke his silence, demanding an apology from Yoon, once his hand-picked prosecutor-general, saying the candidate has groundlessly accused the administration of unspecified crimes.

Senior presidential secretary for public communication Park Soo-hyun speaks during a press conference at Cheong Wa Dae, Thursday. Yonhap

“Yoon should answer what he meant with his remarks about the probe. Does he mean there were any wrongdoings committed by the Moon administration but he turned a blind eye to them while serving as chief prosecutor of Seoul District Prosecutors' Office or as prosecutor-general? Or does he mean that he would take action as if there were such illicit activities during the administration? He should answer these questions,” Moon was quoted by Park Soo-hyun, senior presidential secretary for public communication, as saying during a meeting with aides.

“What he said earlier infuriated me and thus I demand an apology from him because he painted us as a faction subject to a corruption investigation.”

Yoon said in an interview with JoongAng Ilbo newspaper on Wednesday that he would investigate the Moon government to see if there's anything to clean up from its deep-rooted wrongdoings.

“If the current administration's investigation into the previous one was lawful, they are not supposed to say that the next government's possible probe into them, in case there's anything illegal, is political retaliation,” Yoon said. “People who committed irregularities in the Moon government should be punished in accordance with the law because there's a system in place.”

Yoon was appointed as prosecutor general by Moon in 2019 and he remained in office until March last year. However, after clashing with the Moon administration over the investigation of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, who was also a close aide of Moon, Yoon turned his back on them and quit. He was later chosen as the presidential candidate of the main opposition party and became an outspoken critic of the Moon government.

People Power Party presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol listens to questions during a policy debate at Korea Institute of Science and Technology Center in Gangnam District, Seoul, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps

Moon has been refraining from commenting on Yoon, trying to stay neutral in the presidential election. But Yoon's remarks against the government in the interview appeared to have agitated Moon and the ruling party.

“If Yoon said so as a campaign strategy, I believe it's smear politics,” a senior official at Cheong Wa Dae said regarding the candidate's interview, Thursday. “If his remarks are a reflection of his belief, however, I believe they are very dangerous. If Yoon believes in the value of democracy, he should have not made such comments.”

“As you can see, the opposition party is not specifying which part the presidential office meddled in the election. We have been trying to stay neutral on the election, but it is very regretful that the opposition party is using the President as a campaign issue.”

Ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung said what Yoon said “can be interpreted as political retaliation” and he was “embarrassed and regretful” about the comments.

DPK chief campaign spokesman Park Chan-dae urged Yoon to apologize to the President.

“No presidential candidate has ever declared a political retaliation publicly in Korea's history,” he said. “Yoon's remarks are defaming Korea's democracy as well as instigating conflicts among the public.”

However, Yoon indirectly rebuffed demands from Moon and the DPK.

“I think President Moon and I are on the same page,” Yoon told reporters. “Moon has long been calling for fair investigations based on the rule of law, which I agree. … There will be no political retaliation, or whatsoever.”

Yoon's remarks are being interpreted as saying that the investigation he referred to in the interview is not political retaliation, because it will be based on the prosecution's discretion, and he will not be involved in the process even if he is elected.

“I have been reiterating since last summer that I will abolish the office of senior presidential secretary for civil affairs if I take the office, in order to prevent the President from intervening in any investigation,” Yoon said.

The civil affairs secretary overseas the country's inspection agencies.

The PPP stressed that Moon is “intervening in the presidential election.” The PPP's chief campaign spokesman Lee Yang-soo said, “Moon's demand for Yoon's apology is an unfair intervention in the presidential election, and we express our regret.”

Lee added that Yoon highlighted the principles of fair investigation and the prosecution's neutrality, but the President and the DPK are attempting to frame it as political retaliation. “There will be no political retaliation by Yoon,” Lee said.

As the President speaks harshly about Yoon, observers are saying their conflict is pushing the presidential election in an uncharted direction.

“I think Moon is being dragged in by the PPP's strategy,” said Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University. “The PPP is viewing Moon's remarks as an opportunity to spur public sentiment for leadership change. If the confrontation between Yoon and Moon becomes the main campaign issue, it will be easier for Yoon to form a single candidacy with No. 3 candidate Ahn Cheol-soo.”

On the other hand, the DPK also views Moon's remark as a chance to rally its supporters. DPK candidate Lee is still struggling to gain united support from liberal voters, as some pro-Moon factions in the party do not view him as Moon's rightful successor.