Prosecutors Decide Not to Indict Former President Moon Jae-in in West Sea Official Shooting Case, Citing Insufficient Evidence

Prosecutors have decided not to indict former President Moon Jae-in, who had been accused of giving final approval to cover up and minimize the West Sea public official shooting incident.

The Public Investigation Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (led by Chief Prosecutor Yoon Soo-jung) recently disposed of the case against the former President by clearing him of charges including abuse of power, citing insufficient evidence.

This decision comes about 3 years and 7 months after a civic group, the Free Korea Daehan Defense League, filed a complaint in December 2022.

At the time, the group filed complaints against former President Moon on charges of abuse of power, and the creation and use of false official documents, claiming that he received reports from the Ministry of National Defense, the Korea Coast Guard, and the National Intelligence Service and gave final approval to cover up the West Sea shooting incident.

The West Sea public official shooting incident refers to an event in September 2020 where fisheries official Lee Dae-jun was killed by North Korean military forces in the West Sea. The investigation began after the Board of Audit and Inspection launched an audit in June 2022 following a change in administration.

Concluding that the former Moon Jae-in administration had minimized and covered up the murder as a voluntary defection to the North by Lee, prosecutors launched an investigation and sequentially indicted those involved in December 2022.

However, individuals indicted in connection with the case were all recently acquitted.

Acquittals were finalized in the first trial for former National Intelligence Service Director Park Jie-won, former Minister of National Defense Suh Wook, and former NIS Chief of Staff Noh Eun-chae last January after prosecutors gave up their appeals. In addition, some charges against former Cheong Wa Dae National Security Office Director Suh Hoon and former Korea Coast Guard Commissioner General Kim Hong-hee were also acquitted in the second trial last month.

Prosecutors previously made a decision not to indict former President Moon on charges of dereliction of duty and defamation last September in a case filed by Lee's bereaved family.

(File Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.