Prosecutors: "Real Name 'Choi Kang-wook' Included in Jo Guk Indictment Due to Crime Characteristics"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The prosecution clarified on the 7th that including the name of Choi Kang-wook, Secretary for Public Office Discipline at the Blue House, in the indictment against former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk was "necessary due to the nature of the crime," amid controversy.

On the same day, the Hankyoreh newspaper reported, citing a Blue House official, the claims of Secretary Choi, who is implicated in the allegation of falsifying an internship certificate for Cho's son. Secretary Choi reportedly said he was "threatened by the prosecution that if he did not comply with the summons, his real name would be explicitly mentioned in the indictment against (former Minister Cho)." The prosecution rebutted the controversy that arose from this.

According to the newspaper, Secretary Choi claimed, "Even though I already responded to questions through a written statement, the prosecution repeatedly demanded my appearance and, while requesting my attendance from the Blue House Anti-Corruption Secretary, threatened that 'if you do not appear, your real name may be disclosed in the indictment.'

In response, the prosecution released a rebuttal statement. They explained, "Following the usual practice of indictment documentation, all individuals named on falsely created or forged documents, including Secretary Choi, have been explicitly mentioned in the indictment," adding, "The inclusion of (Secretary Choi's name) in the indictment is necessary due to the nature of the crime."

They further added, "Regarding the internship confirmation letters in Secretary Choi's name (for former Minister Cho's son), multiple testimonies from related parties and objective evidence confirmed that they were falsely created or forged, and related indictments were filed."

Although Dongyang University President Choi Sung-hae and Seoul National University Professor Han In-seop are not accomplices of former Minister Cho, their names were included in the indictment as document issuers due to investigative necessity. Similarly, Secretary Choi's name was included in the indictment as the document issuer. This also implies that the internship certificate for former Minister Cho's son contains false information that can be verified by objective evidence.

The Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 2 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Ko Hyung-gon) indicted former Minister Cho on 11 charges, including bribery, without detention on the 31st of last month. During the indictment and investigation, circumstances emerged implicating Secretary Choi in the admission scandal involving former Minister Cho's son. It was revealed that in 2017, Cho's wife, Professor Jung Kyung-shim, asked Secretary Choi, who was then a lawyer at the law firm Cheongmaek, to prepare an internship confirmation letter.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.