Cho Kuk, 'Court's Time' After Half a Year... On SNS, 'A Long and Difficult Road'

Instead of Criticizing the Prosecution, "Diligently Explaining"
When the Judge Asked About His Occupation, "University Professor"
Deep Sighs When the Prosecution Presented the Indictment Summary

Afternoon Hearing on Admission Fraud Charges Renewal Procedure
Side by Side with His Wife, Professor Jeong Gyeongshim of Dongyang University

Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, who is accused of entrance exam fraud and covering up inspections, is attending a trial held at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 11th. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporters Seongpil Jo, Daehyun Kim] Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk appeared in court on the 11th after half a year. Cho was first indicted in December 2019 on charges of admission fraud and was additionally indicted in January of the following year on suspicion of covering up the investigation into former Busan Deputy Mayor Yoo Jae-soo. He had been on trial until December last year but faced a six-month hiatus due to the spread of COVID-19, and now returns to the "court's time."

On the morning of the day, Cho arrived at the Seoul Central District Court building in Seocho-dong, Seoul, around 9:34 a.m. He was dressed in a navy suit with a striped tie. When asked by reporters about his feelings attending the trial after half a year, he said, "I will approach the trial with a more humble attitude" and "I will sincerely explain." This was different from his previous appearances in court, where he often criticized the prosecution. Before attending court, Cho shared a YouTube link to The Beatles' song "The Long And Winding Road" on Facebook. The lyrics include lines such as "The long and winding road that leads to your door" and "Still, the road to your door seems so far away," which was interpreted as reflecting his feelings about returning to trial after half a year.

The trial began around 10 a.m. under the Criminal Division 21-1 (Presiding Judge Ma Seong-young). This was the first trial since the regular court personnel reshuffle in February and the replacement of all judges following the sick leave of the previous presiding judge, Kim Mi-ri. The morning session involved procedural updates on the trial regarding the cover-up of the investigation.

Cho stood in the defendant's seat alongside former Blue House Secretary Baek Won-woo, who was also indicted on the same charges. They greeted each other warmly before the trial, showing a relatively relaxed demeanor. When asked about their occupations by the presiding judge, Cho said, "University professor," and Baek replied, "Politician." They both stated that they did not wish for a jury trial. Former Anti-Corruption Secretary Park Hyung-chul, also indicted on the same charges, did not appear in court that day. On the 7th, Park submitted a letter of absence through his lawyer, reportedly due to contact with a COVID-19 positive individual.

Jeong Gyeong-shim, wife of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk and professor at Dongyang University / Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

As the trial began, Prosecutor Lee Jung-seop, who investigated Cho and Baek on the cover-up charges and brought the case to trial, directly presented the prosecution's summary. Although Lee is currently handling the case involving former Vice Minister Kim's illegal travel ban, he appeared in court that day to maintain the prosecution's case against Cho and others. Prosecutor Lee stated, "The defendants abused their authority to halt the investigation into former Deputy Mayor Yoo, causing the Blue House Special Inspection Team to perform 'unnecessary tasks.'" Upon hearing this, Cho shook his head and sighed deeply.

The afternoon session is scheduled to proceed with procedural updates on the admission fraud charges. Co-defendant Jung Kyung-shim, a professor at Dongyang University, will appear in court. This will be the first time the couple stands side by side in court. It will also be their first encounter in court since last September, when Cho appeared as a witness in Jung’s first trial, which was conducted separately.

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