South Korea’s ex-justice minister sentenced to two years in jail

Published February 4, 2023
Cho Kuk (centre), a former aide to South Korea’s ex-president Moon Jae-in, leaves after his trial at a district court on Friday. Cho, a former justice minister who had once been a strong presidential hopeful, was sentenced to two years in prison for falsifying academic documents of his children.—AFP
Cho Kuk (centre), a former aide to South Korea’s ex-president Moon Jae-in, leaves after his trial at a district court on Friday. Cho, a former justice minister who had once been a strong presidential hopeful, was sentenced to two years in prison for falsifying academic documents of his children.—AFP

SEOUL: A disgraced former South Korean politician, Cho Kuk, was sentenced to two years in prison on Friday for forging documents to facilitate his children’s school admissions in a scandal that has deepened political divides and frustrated many young voters.

A star law professor, Cho was a key aide to former President Moon Jae-in and briefly served as a justice minister before resigning and being indicted on a dozen charges, including bribery and document fraud in late 2019.

The Seoul Central District Court convicted Cho of falsifying documents to send his son and daughter to prestigious high schools and universities, and peddling influence to interfere with a corruption investigation involving a Moon confidant.

Cho’s downfall dealt a stinging blow to Moon amid voter disillusionment over intensifying inequality and hypocrisy of Moon’s government and his progressive Democratic Party, and growing calls for fairness and reform.

It eventually gave rise to incumbent President Yoon Suk-yeol, who then as prosecutor-general investigated Cho and other graft scandals. Cho, who has denied any wrongdoing, said he would appeal.

“I humbly accept the verdict and I will fight for my innocence in the parts where I was found guilty in the appeals court in a more sincere and honest manner,” he told reporters after the ruling.

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2023

Editorial

Shocking ambush
Updated 13 Mar, 2025

Shocking ambush

The sophistication of attack indicates that separatists likely had support from experienced external players.
Suffocating crisis
13 Mar, 2025

Suffocating crisis

THREE of the five countries with the most polluted air on Earth are in South Asia. They include Pakistan, which has...
Captive grid
13 Mar, 2025

Captive grid

IT is a common practice: the government makes commitments with global lenders for their money and then tries to...
State Bank’s caution
Updated 12 Mar, 2025

State Bank’s caution

Easing monetary policy will be difficult for SBP without large, sustainable foreign capital inflows and structural tax reforms.
Syria massacre
12 Mar, 2025

Syria massacre

THERE were valid fears of sectarian and religious bloodshed when anti-Assad militants triumphantly marched into...
Too little, too late
12 Mar, 2025

Too little, too late

WHEN desperation reaches a point that a father has to end his life to save his daughter’s, the state has failed ...