"With Jo Guk" "Sorrow All Day"… Ruling Party Presidential Candidates 'Somber' Over Jeong Gyeong-sim's Prison Sentence

Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] The presidential candidates of the Democratic Party of Korea collectively expressed their regret over the fact that Jeong Gyeongshim, spouse of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk and a professor at Dongyang University, was sentenced to imprisonment again in the second trial. Former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon and former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae mentioned former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, claiming that the judiciary conducted excessive investigations and prosecutions.

On the 11th, former leader Lee posted on his Facebook, "The appellate court's decision to uphold the four-year prison sentence raises suspicions that the sentence was predetermined and the details were adjusted to fit it," adding, "It is especially difficult to understand that documents related to college admissions, such as a high school intern certificate, were recognized as 'guilty'."

He continued, "Even if we concede a hundred times that such acts actually occurred, the decision is excessively harsh," and argued, "The fact that all charges related to the private equity fund and insider trading, which Yoon Seok-yeol cited as reasons for investigating former Minister Cho Kuk, were acquitted proves that there was no justification for the investigation."

He added, "No words can offer comfort," and stated, "I support former Minister Cho's decision to appeal to the Supreme Court. I will stand with him through this painful time."

Jung Kyung-shim, a professor at Dongyang University and spouse of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, who was indicted on charges related to admissions fraud and private equity funds. She was found guilty of admissions fraud and other charges in the appellate court following the first trial and was sentenced to imprisonment. Photo by Yonhap News

Former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae also expressed on Facebook that "My heart was heavy and sorrowful all day long."

Former Minister Choo said, "All charges related to the private equity fund, which were initially presumed, were acquitted, and the unrelated investigations that were tangled up became a stumbling block," adding, "I am frustrated wondering if this is a victim of the dusting-off style unrelated investigations, which are nothing more than outdated investigative methods used by special prosecutors."

She further stated, "The excessive investigations and prosecutions by Yoon Seok-yeol's prosecution became a means to obstruct prosecution reform and a cruel tool that drove one family into the darkest place in the world," adding, "Since anyone can be targeted when trying to curb the omnipotent prosecutorial power, it is all the more frustrating."

Former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said, "Despite new circumstances and testimonies regarding the basis of the first trial's verdict, maintaining the first trial's sentence is an excessively harsh decision," and expressed, "I offer my deep condolences to former Minister Cho Kuk's family, who must be enduring difficult times after nearly two years of hardship."

Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung also pointed out that "there was excessive prosecution." Park Sung-jun, senior spokesperson for Lee Jae-myung's campaign, emphasized in a statement, "It is regrettable," and "I strongly feel the need for prosecution reform. The important point is that it has become clear that the prosecution conducted excessive investigations during this trial process."

Spokesperson Park pointed out, "Initially, the prosecution focused on the private equity fund case, alleging 'Cho Kuk fund' and 'power-type corruption,'" and noted, "However, the court acquitted some of the charges related to the private equity fund."

He added, "There is sufficient reason for reasonable suspicion that the prosecution fixed the guilt in advance and conducted investigations and prosecutions excessively until a conviction was found," and said, "Considering that more prosecutors were deployed than in the December 12 military rebellion case and over 70 search and seizure operations were conducted, the result is utterly disappointing."

Meanwhile, the appellate court sentenced Professor Jeong to four years in prison again, following the first trial, on charges including her children's college admission fraud and private equity fund suspicions.

The court, as in the first trial, judged that all seven major 'specs' of Professor Jeong's daughter were false. However, unlike the first trial, the court acquitted her of the charge related to the off-market purchase of WFM physical stock certificates using undisclosed information concerning Co-Link PE.

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