Cho Kuk "Choi Seonghae's Attitude Changed After Refusing Suit" vs. Jin Joongkwon "Suits Given to Anyone and Everyone"

Heated Debate Continues on Facebook
Former Minister Cho: "Showing Such Favor to the Civil Affairs Secretary is Bribery"
Jin Joong-kwon: "Why Were You Lenient Before Yu Jae-su's Bribery?"

Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk and former Dongyang University professor Jin Joong-kwon are engaged in a heated exchange over the so-called 'presidential suit gift.' This follows allegations raised by former Minister Cho that former Dongyang University President Choi Seong-hae's attitude turned hostile after he refused a suit gift from Choi.

Earlier, on the 22nd, former Minister Cho posted a photo of a box of cider beverages on his Facebook, saying, "Former President Choi sent this drink after hearing that my son likes it," and added, "I found it while cleaning out the warehouse, having forgotten about it."

He continued, "At the time, when former President Choi said he would send a tailor to make a suit for me, I immediately refused, and then this drink was delivered," explaining, "Although the value does not violate the Kim Young-ran Act, I did not even taste it."

He further stated, "Later, in 2018, when Dongyang University was at risk of being designated as a 'financial support restricted university,' a senior official came all the way to Bangbae Station in Seoul to meet Professor Jeong Gyeong-shim and make a request, but I firmly refused," adding, "Until I took office as Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs, former President Choi had shown exceptional kindness to my family, which always made me feel burdened. However, after the refusal, his attitude changed drastically." This is interpreted as an allegation that former President Choi tried to give him a gift as a bribe.

However, former Professor Jin rebutted, saying, "That tailor also came to me," and "But the sender was not the president but the late Chairman Choi Hyun-woo, father of former President Choi."

Jin Joong-kwon, former professor at Dongyang University / Photo by Yonhap News

In a post on Facebook, former Professor Jin explained, "One day, as I was entering the headquarters, I saw an elderly man in shabby clothes pulling weeds in the flower bed. I thought he was a local elderly person doing odd jobs for the school, so I greeted him saying, 'Thank you for your hard work,' and passed by, but he looked me up and down with a displeased expression," adding, "A few days later, the president called me, and when I went to the president's office, that very elderly man was sitting there. (Apparently, in the chairman's eyes) he did not like that a professor was wearing jeans and a T-shirt."

He continued, "Professor Jin, the chairman wants to have a suit made for you (the president explained)," and "That was the chairman's polite way of pointing out the professor's inappropriate attire. Everyone, dogs or cows, received that suit. You shouldn't distort someone's kindness like that," he criticized.

Regarding the cider gift that former Minister Cho said he received, he explained, "(Former President Choi) once met and had a meal with us, and when the boy (former Minister Cho's son) tasted the local natural carbonated drink and said it was delicious and wondered why it wasn't sold in Seoul, he got a box, carried it in his car, and gave it to Professor Jeong in Seoul to give to the boy," calling it "the full story of the cider bribery(?) attempt."

In response to these claims by former Professor Jin, former Minister Cho posted again on Facebook on the 24th, rebutting, "It may be 'kindness' for a private university president to have a suit made for a professor, but doing so for the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs becomes a 'bribe,'" and "Therefore, I refused."

He added, "It is pathetic that the literati and media deliberately ignore this clear difference, try to tarnish me, and defend former President Choi," and asked, "Would former President Choi have sent a tailor to the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs merely as a 'kindness'?"

Professor Jin Jeon is giving a lecture at a seminar held on the afternoon of July 2nd at Choi Inha Bookstore in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Yonhap News

In response, former Professor Jin acknowledged, "His refusal of the suit was an appropriate action," but added, "It is not always clear where kindness ends and bribery begins, so in such cases, refusal is the right thing to do."

However, he pointedly asked, "Why was such strictness applied to a suit sent as a congratulatory gift for inauguration from a family close enough to exchange marriage proposals, and even a box of cider specially prepared because their son liked it, yet so lenient when it came to the clear bribery received by Yoo Jae-soo?"

Former Minister Cho is accused of halting the special inspection team's investigation despite knowing about bribery and other misconduct allegations against former Busan City Deputy Mayor Yoo Jae-soo in 2017 when he was the Blue House Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs. Former Professor Jin's criticism is interpreted as pointing out this allegation.

He emphasized, "What could have acted as a bribe was not the refused suit or the box of cider given to the son, but Professor Jeong Gyeong-shim's professorship," and "If there was psychological burden from that incident, it would have been because of that, not just the suit or the box of cider. This is the essence."