Jeong Gyeong-shim, Who Wept in Court, Says "I Didn't Understand the Ways of the World... My Husband Was Indifferent to Education"

First Defendant Interrogation Requested in Over 4 Years
"My Son Is a Painful Memory... Victim of School Violence in High School"

Jung Kyung-shim, the wife of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk and former Dongyang University professor, stated that the certificates of completion and awards for their son Cho Won were based on actual activities and were not forged. However, she expressed regret for not considering that such actions could be misunderstood as 'self-awarding.'

On the 18th, Jung testified in a wheelchair at the witness stand during a trial held by the Criminal Division 13 of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judges Kim Woo-su, Kim Jin-ha, and Lee In-su). This was her first time responding to defendant questioning in over four years since being indicted in September 2019 on charges including admission fraud involving her children.

Changing her previous stance of refusing defendant questioning, Jung said, "Rather than trying to recover something, I voluntarily requested defendant questioning because I thought there would be no other opportunity and wanted to speak honestly and truthfully." She added, "Our family has lost everything and let go of everything."

Former Dongyang University professor Jung Kyung-shim (left), who was indicted on charges of academic admission fraud involving her children, is seen leaning on a cane and being supported as she heads to the courtroom for the continuation of the second trial held on the afternoon of the 18th at the Seoul High Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

She confessed that her son remains a painful subject due to severe school violence he suffered.

Jung said that she was unable to properly care for Cho Won during his upbringing due to her studies abroad, stating, "He has always remained a painful subject in my heart." She revealed that she learned belatedly from others that her son had been a victim of school violence during high school, describing the shock as "like being hit hard on the back of the head." She tearfully said, "I worried about what would happen if my son made an extreme choice and thought only about focusing on saving him and managing him 24 hours a day."

Jung said, "I was concerned about two things: preventing my child from making an extreme choice and helping him enter an American university." She added, "Since I hold a Ph.D. in English Language and Literature, I thought I could keep him with me and help him study." She claimed that based on this intention, she actually enrolled her son in the Dongyang University vacation program where she was a professor at the time and issued certificates of completion, awards, and volunteer activity confirmations, without thinking it would cause any problems.

She said, "Looking back now, I reflect a lot on why I did such things that led to a trial and caused suffering for my entire family." She added, "What I realized in prison is that this could be seen as 'self-specs' and 'self-awards.' I thought it was natural, but I was arrogant, ignorant of the world, and lacked consideration for others."

Regarding the charge of obstruction of business related to falsely acknowledging her son's attendance, she denied it, saying, "The most important thing was to prevent my child from having strange thoughts, and I thought it was okay even if he repeated a grade, so I didn't think much about attendance." She added, "The school was generous and would acknowledge circumstances, and American universities did not require attendance records on the school transcript."

Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, who was sentenced to two years in prison in the first trial for charges of admission fraud involving his children and obstruction of inspection, is attending the continued second trial held at the Seoul High Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 18th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Regarding the certificate of planned internship activity at Seoul National University's Public Interest and Human Rights Law Center, which was falsely acknowledged in the first trial, she claimed, "I personally requested the certificate from the professor in charge by providing my son's personal information and received it myself. My husband was not involved." The couple had said in the first trial that former Minister Cho Kuk asked a Seoul National University professor to issue the certificate. When the prosecutor asked, "Isn't this statement the first time you are making it since the trial began?" Jung replied, "During the investigation, my lawyer advised me to refuse to testify, so I did not. Today, I want to reveal the truth for the last time, so this is the first time I am saying it."

She described her husband, former Minister Cho Kuk, as "one of the least interested fathers in their children's education among Korean men, and being from Busan, he is not the type to talk much." She added, "He is a principlist, and I almost have to threaten him to get him to help." Upon hearing this, Cho Kuk lowered his head deeply.

Jung said she was a "witch-like mother who managed every move and schedule of her son" and expressed remorse, saying, "I have committed many wrongs to my son and am reflecting on them." She continued, "During 3 years and 2 months in solitary confinement, I was able to reflect on my entire life. I have resolved to try to become a better person," appealing for leniency.

Previously, Jung was sentenced to four years in prison by the Supreme Court for admission fraud involving her daughter Cho Min. She was later additionally indicted for involvement in her son Cho Won's admission fraud and was sentenced to one year in prison in the first trial. She has applied several times for suspension of sentence execution due to a herniated disc and paralysis surgery and was released on parole last September.

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