(EDITORIAL from Korea Times on Oct. 5)

No one is above the law
Former President Moon should cooperate with BAI probe

Former President Moon Jae-in has refused to answer written inquiries sent to him by the state audit agency, about his administration's alleged mishandling of the case of a South Korean fisheries official killed by the North Korean military in September 2020. Moon reacted in a high-handed manner, describing the investigation by the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) as "very rude."

Yet, it's hard to understand why Moon showed an angry reaction to the BAI's attempt to question him in writing. He should cooperate with any investigations because he is facing allegations that his government had covered up the case and manipulated related data to conclude that the official, identified as Lee Dae-jun, was shot dead by the North's military while allegedly attempting to defect to the North.

Lee's tragic death was a clear reminder that the previous administration had failed to fulfill one of the most basic obligations of the state: to protect the people and ensure their safety. Moon had never kept his promise he made to Lee's son that he would reveal the whole truth behind the case. Instead, Moon designed all the related information and data as presidential documents which cannot be made public for 15 years.

It is also lamentable that the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), which was the ruling party under Moon's rule, has framed the BAI's attempted written questioning of the former president as "political retaliation." The DPK has even threatened to lodge a complaint against the BAI with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) for "abuse of power." In addition, it plans to launch a civil disobedience campaign against what it claims is the Yoon Suk-yeol government's move to target the retired president.

It is absurd for the DPK to put the incumbent administration's efforts to get to the bottom of the case in the context of a political vendetta. The opposition party should cooperate to shed light on the case, instead of blocking the ongoing investigations by the BAI and the prosecution. Such probes are aimed at holding those responsible for the alleged mishandling and preventing a recurrence of such a case. The longer Moon and the DPK resist the fact-finding mission, the dimmer the prospects of laying bare the truth.

The case of Lee's death has resurfaced in June, less than two months after Yoon's inauguration, when the Coast Guard and the Ministry of National Defense overturned their earlier conclusion that Lee was killed while trying to defect to the North. As the two entities admitted, there was no concrete evidence supporting the conclusion. This implies that the previous government might have manipulated the information and data to curry favor with North Korea to push for Moon's policy of active engagement with Pyongyang.

It is not desirable for the DPK to turn the case into a political fight in an apparent bid to protect Moon and the core members of his administration. No one can be above the law. Moon is no exception. The ex-president and the party should look into the issue from the perspective of the victim's bereaved family who have been calling for the truth about his death and the restoration of his honor.

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