The audit results released recently by the South Korean Board of Audit and Inspection regarding the former Moon Jae-in administration’s alleged systematic statistical manipulation have sparked political controversy within the country. As the ruling People Power Party (PPP) blamed Moon for the allegation, the former president has issued his own statement.

“The accounting manipulation by the Moon Jae-in administration must be strictly dealt with and corrected,” a senior official at the presidential office said on Sunday. “The government deceived the people by even manipulating statistics, which is a foundational national policy.”

“When compared with a company, the Moon administration has deceived its counterparties, foreign investors and overseas markets, not to mention the people who are the shareholders,” the official added. “If we don’t correct the practice, we are no more than accomplices in the accounting manipulation.”

“The extent of Moon’s involvement, whether direct or indirect, is also something that needs to be uncovered,” PPP leader Kim Gi-hyeon wrote on his Facebook page the same day. “He is also obligated to reveal the truth to the people.”

For his part, Moon is planning to step up in response to the charges. He is expected to attend an academic discussion held in commemoration of the fifth anniversary of the Pyongyang Joint Declaration of September 19, and the conflict between the former and incumbent governments is set to intensify depending on Moon’s message on-site.

On his Facebook page, Moon also shared a report of the Korea Labor and Society Institute (KLSI) titled “Evaluation of the Moon Jae-in Administration’s Employment and Labor Policy” published on Thursday.

“During the Moon Jae-in administration with the Democratic Party as the ruling party, the total employment rate and youth employment rate reached record highs, and the proportion of irregular workers and the wage gap declined,” according to the report. The KLSI is a private research institute joined by labor unions and progressive figures.

By Park In-hye, Woo Je-yoon, Seo Dong-cheol, and Choi Jieun

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]