A South Korean court on Friday sentenced a former justice minister, Cho Kuk, to two years in prison after he was found guilty of creating false credentials to help his children get into prestigious schools, a scandal that rocked the country’s previous government and sparked huge protests
Cho was also found guilty of abusing his powers while serving as a top aide to former President Moon Jae-in, by blocking an investigation into a former Financial Services Commission official considered close to Moon, who was ultimately arrested for taking bribes from businessmen. .
But the Seoul Central District Court decided not to place Cho under immediate arrest, saying he was not a flight threat and that his wife was already serving a prison sentence on charges related to their children. Cho told reporters after the ruling that he plans to appeal, and if he does so within seven days, he will remain out of jail until at least the appeal ruling.
The ruling capped the public disappearance of the former Seoul National University law professor and liberal icon, whose political rise during the Moon government had seen him as a future presidential candidate.
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“I will appeal the charges I was found guilty of and present a more sincere argument (in court),” Cho told reporters after the ruling. He left without accepting any questions.
After initially serving as Moon’s Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs, Cho was appointed justice minister in 2019 but was forced to resign months later after allegations surfaced that he colluded with his wife to forge documents and certificates to help his daughter to enter a medical school. The couple later faced similar allegations surrounding their son’s upbringing.
Cho apologized for the benefits his daughter received when he resigned as justice minister, but strongly denied any legal wrongdoing.
The charges hit a country grappling with a widening gap between rich and poor and where teenagers struggle in hyper-competitive school environments because graduating from elite universities is seen as crucial to career prospects.
Former Justice Minister Cho Kuk arrives at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, on February 3, 2023. The court on Friday sentenced Cho to two years in prison after he was found guilty of creating false credentials. to help their children. they enter prestigious schools.
(AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Cho’s legal saga also tarnishes the reform-minded image of Moon, who vowed to restore faith in fairness and justice after winning a presidential by-election in 2017 to replace her conservative predecessor, Park Geun-hye, who was impeached and jailed. for corruption.
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Cho’s wife, Chung Kyung-shim, had already been serving a four-year prison sentence before the Seoul court added another year to her sentence on Friday, after finding her guilty of additional charges related to their son and also for trying to hide his dubious identity. private equity investments after her husband joined the Moon government.
The court said it was clear Cho had an active role in colluding with his wife to forge their daughter’s credentials to help her get into Seoul National University’s medical school, the country’s most coveted school.
Cho’s daughter did not make it there, but later entered Pusan National University’s medical school in 2015. The PNU deregistered her last year, saying it was based on false records.
The court found Cho guilty of violating an anti-corruption law governing public servants by receiving a $4,800 scholarship for his daughter from Roh Hwan-jung, a former director of PNU’s medical school, in 2017 and 2018.
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However, the court said it could not bring more serious bribery charges against Cho over the payments, saying it was unclear whether Roh had sought favors specifically related to Cho’s work as Moon’s chief civil affairs secretary. The court sentenced Roh to a six-month prison term that was suspended for one year.
The court found Cho and another former Moon aide, Baek Won-woo, guilty of abuse of authority by blocking a government inspection of former Financial Services Commission official Yoo Jae-soo months before Yoo became deputy mayor. from Busan.
Yoo, seen as a close ally of Moon, was later arrested for taking bribes from businessmen for favors during his time at the financial regulator. Baek was sentenced to 10 months in prison on Friday.
