"'Education Corruption' Sookmyung Girls' High School Dean and Jo Guk Couple, Different Developments Within Common Denominator"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The Supreme Court has confirmed a three-year prison sentence for Hyun Mo, the former vice principal of Sookmyung Girls' High School, who was tried on charges of leaking exam questions and answers to his twin daughters. This marks the conclusion of a symbolic case born from the distorted educational zeal in Korean society. The Sookmyung Girls' High School exam leak case is also connected to the admission fraud case involving the children of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk and his wife. Both cases share the common denominator of "educational corruption committed by parents out of misguided love for their children." However, there is a difference in the nature of the crimes between these cases. The evidence used as the basis for judgment in the criminal trials also differs both quantitatively and qualitatively. This means that the course of the trials is likely to unfold differently. Currently, the trial for the admission fraud case involving the children of former Minister Cho Kuk and his wife is underway at the Seoul Central District Court.

On the 12th, the Supreme Court's 2nd Division (Presiding Justice No Jeong-hee) upheld the guilty verdict against former vice principal Hyun, applying the charge of obstruction of business. The core of the charge is that Hyun leaked school exam questions and answers stored in the faculty office safe to his twin daughters, thereby obstructing the academic evaluation process at Sookmyung Girls' High School. Due to Hyun's crime, the twin daughters, who were in the lower academic ranks, simultaneously ranked first in the entire school in both the humanities and science internal exams in July 2018. This trial lacked direct evidence such as physical proof and relied solely on circumstantial evidence, such as the "coincidental sharp rise in the twins' grades at the same time." The lower courts in the first and second trials ruled that this circumstantial evidence proved the prosecution's claims beyond a reasonable doubt and found Hyun guilty. The Supreme Court confirmed the guilty verdict, stating that there was no legal error in the lower court's judgment.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Former Minister Cho Kuk and his wife, Professor Jung Kyung-shim of Dongyang University, are under suspicion of admission fraud. There are several related charges, including obstruction of business, similar to Hyun's case. One charge involves falsely issuing an internship activity certificate for their son, Cho Mo, at Seoul National University's Public Interest and Human Rights Law Center, which was submitted to Han Young Foreign Language High School. It is alleged that they obtained a false internship certificate to have their son's absences excused while preparing for overseas university admission, thereby obstructing Han Young Foreign Language High School's operations. In Cho's case, he is also accused of taking an exam on behalf of his son at George Washington University in the United States. The prosecution claims that Cho received online exam questions from his son and solved them together, thereby obstructing the academic evaluation process at George Washington University.

The couple was indicted on these charges in December last year. Unlike Hyun's case, the prosecution believes there is sufficient evidence to prove the charges without major issues. In particular, criminal evidence is divided into testimonial evidence and physical evidence such as tools, and the obstruction of business charges against the Cho couple reportedly include both types of evidence. A lawyer in Seocho-dong said, "The trial of the Sookmyung Girls' High School vice principal involved disputes over circumstantial evidence due to the lack of direct evidence, but the trial of the Cho couple will proceed differently depending on the recognition of the physical evidence's validity."

The trial for the Cho couple, which includes allegations of admission fraud involving their children, is scheduled for a preparatory hearing on the 20th. However, it is expected to take considerable time to reach a conclusion, as there are other charges besides obstruction of business involved in the case.

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