Hong Joon-pyo: "The investigation of Cho Kuk was not unfair but excessive... I'm not taking anyone's side"

"Joguk, Trying to Escape Unmanly, Even Family Becomes an Issue"

People Power Party presidential candidate Hong Joon-pyo is preparing for a debate at the first broadcast debate for the 20th presidential election candidates held on the 16th at the TV Chosun studio in Jung-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Hong Joon-pyo, a presidential candidate from the People Power Party, said on the 16th regarding the investigation surrounding former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, "I have never thought that the Cho Kuk investigation was unjust, but I still believe it was excessive."

In a post on his Facebook on the same day, Hong explained, "When a crime involves family members, it was customary during my time as a prosecutor to arrest only the person representing the family while the others were either not detained or not indicted. That is why I said the investigation into Cho Kuk's family was an excessive investigation."

He pointed out, "If Cho Kuk had said in that case, 'I will take responsibility and be arrested, so please do not touch my family,' the case would have ended with Cho Kuk's arrest. But because Cho Kuk tried to evade responsibility unmanly, his wife, brother, cousin were arrested one after another to pressure him, and even his daughter was implicated."

He continued, "That is why I called it an excessive investigation, and no matter how strict the law is, I believe it is not right to trample an entire family like that. I am not blaming anyone or taking sides; that was the investigative philosophy I held when I was a prosecutor," he emphasized.

Earlier, during the first televised debate among People Power Party presidential primary candidates, Hong engaged in a heated exchange with other candidates over the investigation of former Minister Cho Kuk.

Ha Tae-kyung, a People Power Party lawmaker, asked, "Candidate Hong has been cozying up to Cho Kuk lately. They even share each other's SNS posts. Was the Cho Kuk investigation wrong?" Former Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong also questioned, "You said the investigation into Cho Kuk's family was a massacre, but Jung Kyung-shim received a guilty verdict and a prison sentence in the second trial. Do you really think it was a massacre?"

In response, Hong said, "I point out mistakes even if they are from my side, and praise good things even if they are from the other side. I do not discriminate between friend and foe when it comes to mistakes." He added, "I am not saying the investigation was wrong, but that it was excessive. There is no investigation that massacres an entire family."

Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk. [Image source=Yonhap News]

As controversy grew over his remarks, Hong posted again on Facebook, saying, "If the public does not think it was harsh, I have no choice but to change my view."

He said, "While saying that stabilizing the administration is also the responsibility of the Prosecutor General, Candidate Yoon Seok-youl confessed to an acquaintance that the Cho Kuk investigation was conducted to stabilize the Moon Jae-in administration. I recall that this was even published as a book," and added, "It was a product of power struggles within the ruling party.

He continued, "My long-held belief was that we should not get excited over such a case. Nevertheless, if the public still thinks that the investigation into former Minister Cho Kuk's family was not harsh, I have no choice but to change my view. However, the total destruction of the former Minister's family was a political investigation that is difficult to accept under my investigative philosophy."

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