Prosecutors: "Decision on Prosecuting Cho Min Will Be Made After Confirming the Position of Cho Kuk Couple"

The prosecution announced on the 13th that it will decide whether to indict Cho Min, the daughter and accomplice of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk and his wife, after confirming changes in their stance regarding the allegations of admission fraud involving their children.

Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk and his daughter Cho Min [Image source=Yonhap News]

A Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office official said on the day, "I understand that (Cho Min) has recently shown some change in her position," adding, "However, it is necessary to verify the specific meaning or intent." He continued, "It is necessary to confirm not only Cho Min's position but also the stance of former Minister Cho Kuk and former Professor Jung Kyung-shim, who are accomplices, regarding the charges."

Regarding criticisms that indicting the entire family at once would be excessive, he said, "Regarding indictment, various factors such as the Supreme Court ruling's intent, the extent of involvement, and sentencing elements must be reviewed," emphasizing, "During the appellate trial process, it is essential to fully hear former Minister Cho Kuk's position on the charges." He also explained that the suspect's attitude of remorse is the most important consideration in deciding whether to indict.

The official explained why the children were not indicted when former Minister Cho Kuk and his wife were indicted in 2019, saying, "It was judged that former Professor Jung was the main perpetrator of Cho Min's crime, so they were indicted first," and added, "Depending on the outcome of the trial (following indictment), it was thought necessary to handle the accomplice Cho Min, so they were not indicted together at that time."

Regarding the possibility of investigating Cho Min before deciding whether to indict her, he said, "Before the statute of limitations expires, there are various things to verify to confirm whether to indict, and it seems that the investigation will proceed in an appropriate manner," but refrained from commenting on the investigation method.

In 2019, the prosecution indicted former Minister Cho Kuk and his wife from September to December on charges related to their children's involvement in admission fraud but did not bring the children to trial, although it judged that the children were partly complicit in some charges. The statute of limitations (7 years) for Cho Min's charges of obstruction of official duties by deception and use of forged documents related to her fraudulent application to the Busan National University School of Medicine expires on the 26th of next month.

Charges against Cho Min for submitting false documents when applying to Seoul National University College of Medicine and against her brother Cho Won for using a falsely prepared Seoul National University internship certificate in graduate school admissions are currently under suspension of the statute of limitations due to the ongoing appellate trial of their accomplice former Minister Cho Kuk.

Recently, as the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office Trial Division 5 (Chief Prosecutor Kim Min-a) reviews whether to indict Cho Min ahead of the expiration of the statute of limitations on her charges, she withdrew lawsuits against the cancellation of her admissions to Korea University and Busan National University College of Medicine. Cho Won also announced that he will return his master's degree from Yonsei University Graduate School.

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