"Mental Damage Due to Jo Guk"... 1,618 Citizens File Class Action Lawsuit

Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Over 1,000 citizens have filed a civil lawsuit claiming they suffered mental damages due to former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk.

According to the legal community on the 11th, 1,618 people, including Professor Seomin from Dankook University College of Medicine, submitted a damage claim lawsuit to the Seoul Central District Court against former Minister Cho, demanding 1 million KRW per person, totaling 1.618 billion KRW. They argued that after Cho was nominated as Minister of Justice in 2019, he falsely explained allegations related to private equity funds and his children's admission fraud, causing them mental distress. Some expressed feelings of deprivation due to the admission fraud involving Cho's children.

This lawsuit was filed on behalf of citizens who responded to lawyer Soyeon Kim’s call on social media last September to recruit participants for a collective lawsuit against former Minister Cho. At that time, lawyer Kim stated, "According to precedents, defeat is expected," but added, "We will make every effort to prove how the plaintiffs suffered mental damages from Cho and clarify the causal relationship."

Meanwhile, former Minister Cho is currently undergoing a first trial at the Seoul Central District Court on charges related to his children's admission fraud, private equity fund allegations, and the cover-up of misconduct by former Busan City Deputy Mayor Yoo Jae-su.