Gominjeong "Afraid the Prosecutors' Blade Might Turn Against Me"

"Jeong Gyeong-shim Mentions Corruption and State Affairs Manipulation... Feels Hostility from Prosecution"

On the morning of the 23rd, Song Gap-seok and Go Min-jung, members of the Democratic Party belonging to the National Assembly's Industry, Trade, Energy, Small and Medium Enterprises Committee, held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office in Yeouido, Seoul, regarding the audit results of the Korea Audit Office on Wolsong Unit 1. Photo by Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] Democratic Party lawmaker Ko Min-jung expressed fear that "their blades might also reach me" regarding the search and seizure related to Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 (Wolseong 1) and the sentencing recommendation for Jung Kyung-shim, a professor at Dongyang University and wife of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, which were both announced on the same day.

On the 5th, Ko posted on her Facebook, describing the prosecution's search and seizure of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) headquarters in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk, and Korea Gas Corporation headquarters in Daegu as "like watching a military operation."

She added, "It is reported that the search and seizure included not only a wide range of nuclear power-related personnel but also the homes and mobile phones of related national and division chiefs. It was as if they had been preparing for this, moving in perfect order."

Ko stated, "In 2015, the Park Geun-hye administration decided to shut down Kori Unit 1 despite its economic viability," adding, "At that time, former MOTIE Minister Yoon Sang-jik announced that he would recommend the decommissioning of Kori Unit 1 in Busan's Gijang County to KHNP, and later became a lawmaker for the Busan Gijang district. Then Busan Mayor Seo Byung-soo said, 'The government's decision to permanently shut down the old nuclear power plant is the fastest and only way for the future of Korea and Busan, and Busan citizens applaud this decision.' Kim Moo-sung, then leader of the Saenuri Party, also urged decommissioning."

She continued, "All of them are now members of the People Power Party who argue that shutting down Wolseong 1 due to economic reasons is unjust," and said, "I could not accept the reasoning that it was acceptable then but not now, so I pointed this out during the recent audit, and several Democratic Party lawmakers followed suit. However, the People Power Party, as if prepared, immediately filed a complaint against the relevant government agencies the very next day in perfect order."

Jeong Gyeong-shim, spouse of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, who was indicted on charges including admission corruption involving their children and suspicions of private equity fund investments, is attending the first trial sentencing hearing held on the morning of the 5th at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu.
Photo by Yonhap News

She also criticized, "Chairman Choi Jae-hyung of the Board of Audit and Inspection said it was 'a government policy task that only received 41% support in the presidential election,' and Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, threatened the president by saying, 'If President Moon Jae-in has legal responsibility, he will not be able to avoid it even after leaving office.' Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl twisted the government organization by saying, 'The prosecutor general is not a subordinate of the minister.'"

Ko said, "Coincidentally, on the same day, the first trial sentencing recommendation for Professor Jung was made," adding, "The prosecution requested the court to sentence her to seven years in prison, impose a fine of 900 million won, and order the confiscation of 164.61 million won. I feel hostility when I hear the prosecution mention words like corruption and state power manipulation."

She continued, "Professor Jung revealed her feelings about her entire family being driven to disgrace and eventually shed tears," adding, "I am also afraid. Faces of my family and friends flash before me. But I believe in our judgment, the power of history, and the people."

Meanwhile, the prosecution has requested a seven-year prison sentence for Professor Jung, who is on trial for allegations including her children's admission fraud and private equity fund investment suspicions.

According to multiple media outlets, at the sentencing hearing held at the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 25-2 (Presiding Judges Lim Jeong-yeop, Kwon Seong-su, Kim Seon-hee), the prosecution requested the court to sentence her to seven years in prison.

The prosecution stated, "The investigation began amid many suspicions raised during the personnel screening process of former Minister Cho Kuk. It started with allegations against the living power and can be seen as a case similar to 'state power manipulation.' This case is about the inheritance of academic background and wealth, and essentially about evading criminal punishment through concealment of the truth."

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