Jeong Cheong-rae: "I will read 'Cho Kuk Memoirs' and write a book report... We must not forget the blood Cho Kuk shed"

Jeong Cheong-rae, Democratic Party of Korea member. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Joo-mi Lee] Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk is planning to publish a memoir, and Jeong Cheong-rae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated, "We must not forget the blood Cho Kuk shed," adding, "I will read the book as soon as I receive it and post a book report."

On the 30th, Jeong posted on his Facebook, "You will vividly feel the hardships that former Minister Cho, as a proponent and executor of prosecutorial reform, endured," expressing this sentiment.

Jeong said, "If former Minister Cho had not jumped into prosecutorial reform, none of this would have happened," and added, "You may not believe it, but regardless of party lines, we have all sung in unison for the establishment of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials and the separation of investigative powers between the police and prosecution. Even current members of the People Power Party and their predecessors have often advocated for the separation of investigation and prosecution. But when it came to actual implementation, they made excuses and obstructed it," he claimed.

Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk's memoir, "The Time of Cho Kuk." Photo by Cho Kuk, former Minister of Justice, Facebook capture.

Jeong then compared former Minister Cho to an "independence fighter under Japanese colonial rule" and an "abolitionist." He explained, "Democracy is said to be a tree that grows by drinking blood. However, that tree generously offers its own body, sharing its trunk, branches, and leaves," adding, "The abolition of slavery, women's suffrage, and independence movements under Japanese rule are now taken for granted, but at the time, they were freedoms and values won through bloody struggles."

He continued, "I hope that in the distant future, the tree of democracy in the Republic of Korea will have grown large because of the blood he shed," emphasizing, "We must not forget the blood Cho Kuk shed."

Jeong added, "I ordered five copies of the book. As a proponent and executor of prosecutorial reform, I want to vividly feel the hardships he (former Minister Cho) endured," and recommended, "I encourage a thorough read (一讀)."

Earlier, on the 27th, former Minister Cho announced on Facebook the publication of his memoir, 'Cho Kuk's Time: Pain and Truth, Unspoken Thoughts,' which recounts the 'Cho Kuk incident' from his perspective. The memoir is scheduled to be simultaneously released nationwide at online and offline bookstores on the 1st of next month.