Photo line at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-dong, Seoul, ahead of the appearance of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk on the 8th./Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] The brother of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, who is on trial while in custody over allegations including recruitment corruption and false lawsuits related to Ungdong Academy, has been released on bail.
It appears to be an unavoidable decision by the court to proceed with additional hearings as the detention period is nearing its expiration.
According to the court on the 13th, the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 21 (Presiding Judge Kim Mi-ri) decided ex officio to grant bail to Cho Kwon, former secretary-general of Ungdong Academy. Cho was released from Seoul Eastern Detention Center on the same day.
However, the court attached several conditions to Cho's release.
First, the court required Cho to submit a written pledge to appear at the time and place designated by the court and not to destroy evidence.
Additionally, Cho's residence was restricted to a specific area in Busan City for the duration of the bail, and if there is a need to change residence after release, he must apply in writing to the court and obtain permission.
Furthermore, the court ordered Cho to pay a deposit of 30 million won and prohibited him from meeting or contacting related parties or relatives by any means, including phone calls, text messages, or social networking services (SNS).
The court's decision to release Cho with conditions followed the postponement of his sentencing hearing scheduled for the 12th and the decision to resume arguments.
Legal circles analyze that since Cho's detention period expires on the 17th, the court likely judged that imposing various conditions through a bail decision restricting his residence would enable a more efficient trial process before then.
Cho's next trial is scheduled for the 27th.
Cho, who served as secretary-general of Ungdong Academy and as a representative of a construction subcontractor, was indicted on charges of securing construction payment claims based on false construction work and conducting 'self lawsuits' against Ungdong Academy in 2006 and 2017, causing damages of approximately 11.55 billion won to the school foundation.
He is also accused of receiving about 180 million won from two applicants during the recruitment of teachers at Ungdong Middle School under the school foundation from 2016 to 2017, handing over exam questions and answer sheets, and attempting to destroy evidence once the prosecution investigation began.
Earlier, Jung Kyung-shim, a professor at Dongyang University and wife of former Minister Cho, was released on the morning of the 10th as her detention period expired.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
