Choi Kang-wook Loses Lawmaker Position in First Trial... Court Says "Admission Fairness Compromised" (2nd Report)

Open Democratic Party leader Choi Kang-wook, who is accused of falsifying an internship certificate for the son of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, is leaving the courtroom after attending the first trial sentencing hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 28th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Choi Kang-wook, leader of the Open Democratic Party, who was indicted on charges of issuing a false internship certificate for the son of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, was sentenced to a penalty resulting in loss of his parliamentary seat in the first trial. If the verdict is confirmed by the Supreme Court, Choi will lose his seat as a member of the National Assembly.

On the morning of the 28th, Judge Jung Jong-geon of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 9 sentenced Choi, who was tried on charges including obstruction of business, to 8 months in prison with a 2-year probation. The court stated, "The defendant's crime undermines the fairness of university admissions, and considering the influence of academic background on social status in our society, it cannot be taken lightly," adding, "Sentencing was considered from the perspective of preventing such illegal acts, including the possibility of issuance based on connections rather than ability."

Choi, who was working as a lawyer at the law firm Cheongmaek, was indicted in January last year on charges of issuing false internship activity certificates twice in 2017 and 2018 for Cho Mo, the son of former Minister Cho Kuk. Cho's son submitted these certificates to graduate school admissions at Korea University and Yonsei University and was admitted to both. At the time of indictment, Choi was the Secretary for Public Office Discipline at the Blue House and ran as a proportional representation candidate in the April 15 general election last year, winning a seat. He is known to be a close acquaintance and junior alumnus of former Minister Cho at Seoul National University Law School.

In court, Choi claimed innocence, stating that the son of former Minister Cho actually interned and that the certificate was not false but written based on that. However, the court found both Choi's and Cho's son's testimonies to lack credibility. The court said, "The activities of former Minister Cho's son do not match the contents of the certificate and cannot be seen as merely exaggerated," and added, "The certificate does not correspond to the actual activities performed, likely causing misunderstanding or confusion for the admissions officer."

Although Choi avoided immediate imprisonment due to the suspended sentence, he now faces the risk of losing his parliamentary seat. According to the Public Official Election Act and the National Assembly Act, a member of the National Assembly loses eligibility and their seat if sentenced to imprisonment or higher (including suspended sentences) upon confirmation.

Meanwhile, Choi is also on trial for charges of false public announcement (violation of the Public Official Election Act) during last year's general election period, denying the falsification of the internship certificate for former Minister Cho's son, and for defamation of former Channel A reporter Lee Dong-jae by spreading false information on social media (SNS).