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Goh Hyung-gon, Head of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division at Daegu District Prosecutors' Office. / Photo by Legal Times

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Go Hyung-gon, head of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division at Daegu District Prosecutors' Office, travels to Seoul every Thursday. It is a business trip covering approximately 560 km. This is to lead the trial of Professor Jeong Gyeong-sim of Dongyang University. Until January of this year, he worked at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. As head of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 2, he led the investigation into the family of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk. Three members of Cho's family, including Professor Jeong, were arrested and brought to trial under his supervision.

Since December last year, Chief Prosecutor Go has been involved in maintaining the prosecution in Professor Jeong's case. When the court refused the request to amend the indictment regarding Professor Jeong's alleged forgery of a Dongyang University certificate, he strongly opposed and confronted the presiding judge. In February, Chief Prosecutor Go was transferred to the Daegu District Prosecutors' Office in a personnel reshuffle. There were claims that this was a retaliatory move because he was part of the Yoon Seok-yeol faction and had investigated the family of former Minister Cho and others linked to the administration. However, Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol decided to assign the existing investigation team, now stationed in the provinces, to maintain the prosecution, so Chief Prosecutor Go continues to participate in Professor Jeong's trial in the form of business trips.

On the morning of the 2nd, Chief Prosecutor Go appeared at the 21st hearing of Professor Jeong's trial held at the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 25-2 (Presiding Judge Lim Jeong-yeop). His silent and calm expression revealed the heavy burden placed upon him. Two days earlier, at the sentencing hearing of Cho Beom-dong, a fifth cousin of former Minister Cho, only one of the three charges of conspiracy with Professor Jeong was recognized as guilty, making Chief Prosecutor Go's mission to prove the guilt of Cho's family even more critical.

The investigation into the family of former Minister Cho, which began in August last year, was a signal flare for investigations targeting the current administration. The ruling party criticized the prosecution for conducting a politically motivated and intense investigation. The level of criticism increased recently as the Minister of Justice and the Prosecutor General clashed over specific cases. Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae pointed out the investigation into Cho's family as "excessive and unreasonable," pressuring Prosecutor General Yoon with harsh remarks such as "invoking the chief's command authority."

If no significant progress is made in Professor Jeong's trial following Cho's case, it is clear that the ruling party's attacks on Prosecutor General Yoon will intensify. A lawyer with a prosecution background said, "To prove that the investigation was justified, a guilty verdict must be obtained from the court," adding, "Considering that Prosecutor General Yoon mobilized all anti-corruption investigation divisions of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office to investigate Cho's family, this is even more important."