Professor Cho Kuk Opposes Dismissal from Faculty Position... Ruling Party Says "At Least Have Some Decency"

Cho "Not for Professorship or Salary... For Restoring Honor"
People Power Party "Said They Would Reflect but Appeal? Was It a Lie?"

Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk filed a teacher grievance review against his dismissal from the Seoul National University (SNU) professorship, prompting criticism from both inside and outside the People Power Party, saying he has "no sense of shame or conscience."

Earlier, on the 20th, Cho's side requested the Teacher Grievance Review Committee under the Ministry of Education to cancel the dismissal from his professorship at SNU Law School. The SNU Faculty Disciplinary Committee had resolved to dismiss Cho from his professorship on the 13th of last month.

If Cho's request is 'dismissed' or 'rejected,' his side can file an administrative lawsuit against the review committee. If no lawsuit is filed, the dismissal decision will be finalized.

Cho stated that this grievance review request is not about his professorship or salary. On the 25th, he posted on Facebook, "It is not simply because of the position or suspension as an SNU professor or the salary that comes with it," adding, "I have long given up on the professorship and do not obsess over that salary."

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

Cho further explained, "Accepting SNU's dismissal while strongly contesting the first trial ruling that my daughter’s scholarship, received while I was serving as Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs, violated the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act is not merely a personal matter," and added, "As an ordinary citizen, I have initiated legal remedies to protect my basic rights and to restore my honor as a former high-ranking public official."

He said, "I will do my best to be acquitted in the criminal trial regarding the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act and to have the unfairness of the dismissal recognized in the administrative lawsuit," and "On the day both are achieved, I will resubmit my previously withdrawn resignation letter to the SNU president."

However, criticism arose from within and outside the People Power Party toward Cho for contesting his dismissal from the professorship.

Jeong Mi-kyung, former Supreme Council member of the People Power Party, appeared on MBN's 'Politics Wide' on the 26th and said, "Filing a grievance review request indicates an intention to file an administrative lawsuit," and claimed, "It seems Cho Kuk does not acknowledge his crimes at all."

This grievance review request contradicts the recent expressions of self-reflection by Cho and his wife.

On the 23rd, Cho Kuk and former Dongyang University professor Jeong Gyeong-sim issued a statement saying, "Our children have all given up or returned degrees and qualifications connected to the charges or convictions related to admission fraud, and have withdrawn related lawsuits," adding, "Since this matter caused legal and social controversy, we decided to discard everything and start anew from scratch as a form of self-reflection."

Hwang Gyu-hwan, senior deputy spokesperson for the People Power Party, claimed, "They have no sense of shame or conscience," and said, "The statement just two days ago, admitting 'we, the parents, were wrong and will take responsibility' regarding our children's admission fraud charges, was indeed a lie."

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