Cho Kuk Files Teacher Appeal Review...Disputes Dismissal from Professorship

Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk has filed an appeal with the faculty grievance committee against his dismissal from the professorship at Seoul National University.

Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, who was indicted on charges of admission corruption involving his children and allegations of covering up inspections, is expressing his position as he attends the first hearing of the second trial held at the Seoul High Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 17th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the education sector on the 25th, former Minister Cho filed a grievance review request with the Faculty Grievance Committee the day before regarding his dismissal from the professorship.

Seoul National University held a faculty disciplinary committee meeting on the 13th of last month and resolved to dismiss former Minister Cho, who held a position as a professor at the Law School. This is a disciplinary action taken about 3 years and 5 months after he was indicted without detention in December 2019 on charges including bribery. In January 2020, Seoul National University suspended former Minister Cho from his position as a Law School professor, but then-President Oh Se-jeong delayed disciplinary action, citing difficulty in proving charges based solely on the prosecution's indictment. The faculty disciplinary committee resumed deliberations after the first trial verdict was announced in February of this year, leading to the dismissal decision.

Following the faculty disciplinary committee's dismissal decision, former Minister Cho's legal team issued a statement expressing regret over "Seoul National University's hasty and excessive measures," and stated, "We will immediately appeal to protect the basic rights of the professor and restore the honor of a former high-ranking public official by challenging the unfairness of the decision."

In February, the first trial court found former Minister Cho guilty of charges including his children's admission fraud, receiving 6 million won in the name of a scholarship for his daughter, and the cover-up of an investigation into Yoo Jae-soo, former Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs of Busan. He was sentenced to two years in prison. Both the prosecution and former Minister Cho have appealed, and the second trial is currently underway.

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