Former President Moon Jae-in has filed a complaint with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials against prosecutors who led an investigation and indicted him on bribery charges regarding the employment of his former son-in-law.

At a press conference on Wednesday, a Democratic Party committee said the former president’s complaint reflects the exercise of his right to self-defense and a process to reveal the truth.

The subjects of the complaint include Lee Chang-soo, head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, and Park Young-jin, head of the Jeonju District Prosecutors’ Office, whom Lee has accused of abusing their power and publishing information about an ongoing criminal case. 

Regarding the prosecution’s indictment of Moon last Thursday, the DP committee accused the agency of having political motives for targeting Moon, his family, and parties linked to the former administration.

The Jeonju District Office, in response, expressed regret that the former president filed a complaint against prosecutors, saying they conducted their investigation in accordance with the law.

Prosecutors suspect that budget carrier Thai Eastar Jet’s decision to hire Moon’s then-son-in-law, identified by his surname, Seo, was linked to the appointment of Lee Sang-jik, the Eastar Jet founder, who also established the Thai airline, as head of the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency in 2018.