‘Admission Fraud and Investigation Cover-up’ Representative Cho Kuk Sentenced by Supreme Court Today... 2nd Trial Imprisonment for 2 Years

The final confirmed verdict for Cho Kuk, leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, who was indicted on charges including 'admission fraud involving his children' and 'cover-up of the Blue House inspection regarding former Busan Deputy Mayor Yoo Jae-soo,' and sentenced to two years in prison in the first and second trials, will be announced on the 12th.

Cho Kuk, Leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

The Supreme Court's 3rd Division (Presiding Justice Eom Sang-pil) will hold the appeal trial sentencing hearing for Cho, who was indicted on 12 charges including obstruction of business, violation of the Anti-Graft Act, and abuse of authority, starting at 11:45 a.m. that day.

Cho was indicted in December 2019 on charges including falsifying internship certificates for his children and fraudulent receipt of scholarships by his daughter, Cho Min. Additionally, in January of the following year, he was further indicted for covering up the special inspection team's investigation into former Deputy Mayor Yoo while serving as the Blue House Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs.

The first and second trial courts sentenced Cho to two years in prison. The courts found him guilty of most of the admission fraud charges involving his children and the cover-up of the special inspection team's investigation. They also ruled that the 6 million won scholarship received by his daughter from former Busan Medical Center Director Noh Hwan-jung was not a bribe but violated the Anti-Graft Act.

However, he was acquitted of charges including bribery, instructing evidence forgery, instructing evidence concealment, violation of the Public Officials Ethics Act, and forgery and use of private documents. Although the court sentenced him to prison, it did not order his detention in court, citing no risk of evidence destruction or flight.

If the Supreme Court upholds the second trial's ruling as is, Cho will be detained, lose his parliamentary seat, and be barred from running in the next presidential election. Conversely, if the Supreme Court acquits some charges and remands the case, Cho will undergo a retrial in the second trial court. Since several months are required for the retrial and subsequent appeal, there is a possibility that the path to presidential candidacy could open depending on the circumstances.

Meanwhile, on the 4th, shortly after the lifting of martial law, Cho's side submitted a request to the Supreme Court to postpone the sentencing hearing, citing the need to manage the emergency situation following President Yoon Seok-yeol's martial law declaration. The request emphasized that, as the leader of the second opposition party, Cho must devote full efforts to party affairs to handle the emergency situation declared by President Yoon.

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