SEOUL: Prosecutors have raided the Unification Ministry's office managing inter-Korean relations amid allegations of improper procedures in the selection of Eastar Jet to transport musicians for a 2018 concert in Pyongyang. According to Yonhap News Agency, the raid was conducted by the Jeonju District Prosecutors Office at the ministry's Inter-Korean Relations Management Bureau. Since Monday, investigators have been collecting documents and evidence concerning the ministry's decision to choose Eastar Jet for the transport of South Korean artists to North Korea. The concerts, held between March and April 2018, were part of the cultural exchange initiatives under the former Moon Jae-in administration, aimed at fostering better relations between the two Koreas. Eastar Jet was selected for the task based on its previous experience in 2015, when it transported athletes for an inter-Korean sports event. Despite this, prosecutors suspect that the decision might have been influenced by political factors rather tha n purely on operational merits, particularly over other larger airline competitors. The investigation also extends to allegations that former President Moon Jae-in may have shown undue favoritism towards Lee Sang-jik, the founder of Eastar Jet. The prosecutors are looking into claims that Moon's administration facilitated the hiring of Lee's former son-in-law as an executive at Thai Eastar Jet, a subsidiary of the main company, as part of these favors. Additionally, the prosecutors' team has searched the residence of Cho Myoung-gyon, who was the foreign minister during the period in question, indicating the breadth and depth of the ongoing investigation.
Trump Avoids North Korea in U.N. Speech, Focuses on Iran and Cuba
September 22, 2026