ISTANBUL

Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday called his prosecution over bribery charges "unjust," claiming the case reflects an abuse of power, local media reported.

Moon was being tried over allegations that he facilitated the employment of his former son-in-law at a Thai airline.

"The indictment itself is unjust, and it felt like (prosecutors) were driving (the case) to something of a predetermined course," Moon said at a meeting with National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik, according to the Seoul-based Yonhap News.

Moon, 72, served as president from 2017 to 2022.

The Jeonju District Prosecutor's Office announced Thursday that it had charged Moon with violating the Act on Aggravated Punishment for Certain Crimes in connection with bribery allegations. Former lawmaker Lee Sang-jik, the founder of a Korean airline, was also charged with bribery and embezzlement.

"Prosecutors have become politicized," Moon said, adding that the case seemed to be "a clear example of how prosecutorial power is being abused."

Speaking at a ceremony commemorating the seventh anniversary of the Panmunjom Declaration, an agreement signed in April 2018 with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un, Moon said: “Resuming talks between the two Koreas is the most important,” noting that “the [inter-Korean] military agreement must first be restored” to avoid the risks of military clashes.

The ex-president also referred to the notion of South Korea pursuing nuclear armament as a "dangerous" proposition.