Moon, angry, refutes accusations of political revenge

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday denounced former President Lee Myung-bak’s accusations of political revenge as an “insult.”

“President Moon Jae-in said that he cannot hold back outrage at the fact that former President Lee Myung-bak raised the death of President Roh Moo-hyun in talking of political revenge,” Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Park Soo-hyun said. 

Park went on to say that Moon expressed strong displeasure at Lee’s insinuation that the Moon administration was controlling the related investigations. According to Park, Moon referred to Lee’s accusations as an insult, and that the former president had crossed a line.

On Wednesday, the former president said that investigations into developments that took place during his administration were “political plots, revenge for the death of President Roh Moo-hyun.” Roh, a political mentor and close friend of President Moon, took his own life in 2009 in the midst of a corruption investigation.

Lee also claimed the investigations are designed to take him down, and called on the investigators to question him and to stop harassing those who served under him.

Lee’s first official statement on the issue came just as two of his former aides -- Kim Jin-mo and Kim Paik-joon -- were arrested on suspicion of misusing National Intelligence Service funds,

Wednesday also saw the probe into auto parts maker DAS expand.

DAS is officially controlled by Lee’s eldest brother Lee Sang-eun, but it has been alleged the former president is the real owner of the company. During Wednesday’s raid, the office and homes of individuals associated with another auto parts maker, IM, were searched. As with DAS, Lee Sang-eun is the majority shareholder of IM.

DAS is suspected of operating a slush fund, and it has been alleged that state agencies helped the company recoup a large investment in an investment advisory firm set up by a onetime business partner of the former president during Lee’s presidency. 

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)