Former President Moon Jae-in and then-prosecutor general Yoon Suk Yeol walk down the hall at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, July 25, 2019. Korea Times file

Former President Moon Jae-in expressed regret over his decision to appoint President Yoon Suk Yeol as prosecutor general in 2019, a move that ultimately paved the way for Yoon's rise to political stardom.

In a rare interview published on Monday, Moon, who has been critical of his successor's governance, admitted that the appointment played a role in the formation of the Yoon administration.

"There are many things I regret throughout the (appointment) process, but ultimately, the fact that our administration led to the creation of the Yoon Suk Yeol government is something we cannot distance ourselves from. Of course, I bear the greatest responsibility for that. I sincerely regret any distress this has caused to the public," Moon said in an interview with The Hankyoreh, a center-left daily newspaper in Korea.

"Even before the declaration of martial law, the Yoon government was performing poorly. I felt a deep sense of self-reproach for having handed over power to such individuals. And now, with the impeachment motion and the martial law crisis, the extent of this feeling is indescribable," he said.

This interview marked the former liberal president's first official media appearance since he handed power to Yoon in May 2022.

During his term, Moon appointed Yoon as prosecutor general as part of his efforts to reform the nation's prosecution, which had often been criticized for wielding excessive investigative power.

At the time, Yoon, who was the chief prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, had gained public attention for his role in high-profile cases, including his investigation into former President Park Geun-hye's bribery scandal, which ultimately led to her impeachment.

In the interview, Moon explained that among the four candidates shortlisted for the top prosecutor position, Yoon was the only one who had expressed support for prosecutorial reform.

Although opinions about Yoon were divided among Moon's aides — some pointed to his quick temper and tendency to surround himself with loyalists — the former president highlighted the candidate's firm commitment to reform as the main reason for his appointment.

However, this turned out to be one of Moon's biggest political miscalculations.

Yoon's relationship with Moon quickly soured after he was appointed as the top prosecutor. In particular, the prosecution's extensive investigation into Cho Kuk, who was the justice minister at the time and a close ally of Moon, significantly strained their ties. Yoon eventually resigned in March 2021.

The prosecutor general's public clashes with the liberal administration propelled him into a rising star within the conservative bloc. Shortly after his resignation, the political newcomer secured the presidential nomination from the then-opposition People Power Party in July 2021 and went on to win the presidency in March 2022 by a razor-thin margin.

Military vehicles and police officers are seen near the National Assembly in Seoul on Dec. 4 following President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law. Korea Times photo by Park Si-mon

The conservative president, who has faced challenges in gaining broader popularity throughout his term, now faces a major political crisis following his decision to declare martial law late last year. He is currently undergoing an impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court and is under criminal investigation on treason charges.

"I was truly dumbfounded, absolutely shocked," Moon said when asked about Yoon's martial law declaration.

"Although martial law may still exist in constitutional law, in reality, it's nothing more than a relic of the past, something that belongs in a museum. The idea of bringing it out in the 21st century and using it against the people — can anyone seriously consider that?" he said, referring to the periods of military rule in Korea, most notably under the authoritarian regimes of former leaders Park Chung-hee and Chun Doo-hwan during the 1960s to 1980s.

Moon also expressed a sense of disgrace and sadness as he watches the ongoing impeachment trial, where Yoon remains steadfast in his belief that declaring emergency military rule was a legitimate decision within his presidential authority.

"If there is any sense of responsibility, shouldn't the president acknowledge it and cooperate to quickly stabilize the country? His attitude of simply trying to survive is both disgraceful and sad," Moon said.