Asset Manager of Cho Kuk's Family "Committed Evidence Concealment at Jeong Gyeong-shim's Request"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] Kim Kyung-rok (38), a private banker (PB) at a securities firm who was indicted on charges of hiding former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk’s wife, Professor Jung Kyung-shim of Dongyang University, and was found guilty in the first trial, testified that he committed the crime at Professor Jung’s request.

The Criminal Division 25-2 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judges Im Jeong-yeop, Kwon Seong-su, Kim Seon-hee) summoned Kim as a prosecution witness and questioned him on the 20th during the trial against Professor Jung.

During the prosecution’s examination, Kim was asked, “Did you testify truthfully during the prosecution investigation?” and Kim answered, “I testified truthfully.” Earlier, during the prosecution investigation, Kim had stated, “Professor Jung said she wanted to replace the hard disk in preparation for a search and seizure and asked me to replace it.”

Kim also testified that he received a card from Professor Jung and purchased a hard disk at an electronics market near Nambu Terminal after hearing from her, “There is an electronics market near Nambu Terminal, so buy a hard disk.” He then replaced the hard disk.

Furthermore, Kim said that he went to Dongyang University at Professor Jung’s suggestion and believed that carrying out the computer removal entirely was done according to Professor Jung’s wishes.

The charges applied by the prosecution against Professor Jung and former Minister Cho are instructing evidence concealment. While concealing evidence in one’s own criminal case is not legally punishable, instructing others to conceal evidence can be a crime.

In response, Professor Jung’s defense attorney argues that she is not a principal offender who instructed Kim to conceal evidence but rather a co-conspirator who jointly concealed evidence, and therefore cannot be held guilty, asserting her innocence.

Kim was found guilty of evidence concealment in the first trial and was sentenced to eight months in prison with a two-year probation, but the first trial court did not determine the co-conspirator relationship between Professor Jung and Kim.

Meanwhile, during the trial on the day, Kim testified again that while he was replacing the hard disk, former Minister Cho, who had returned home, said to him, “Thank you for helping my wife.”

Kim also explained that he ordered a solid-state drive (SSD), a type of storage device, online for Cho’s son to replace, and when he asked why the replacement was needed, Cho’s son replied, “Because there is something embarrassing if others see it.”

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