[Asia Economy reporters Seongpil Jo and Daehyun Kim] On the morning of the 25th, at Seoul Central District Court, Courtroom 311. Cho Kuk, former Minister of Justice, and Jung Kyung-shim, professor at Dongyang University, stood trial on charges of admission fraud, with their daughter Cho Min testifying as a witness. It was two weeks after the couple first appeared together in the defendant's seat that their daughter also appeared as a witness. When asked about her occupation by the presiding judge, Cho Min replied, "Intern at Hanil Hospital."
Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, who has been indicted on charges including allegations of covering up an inspection and admission fraud involving his children, is attending a trial held at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 25th. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@
Separate Appearance of Father and Daughter... Sharp Criticism of Chosun Ilbo
On that day, Cho Min entered the courtroom through a different passage than ordinary witnesses. Earlier, on the 22nd, she applied for witness support services at the court. The witness support service is a system that allows witnesses to enter the court, stay in a separate space, and enter the courtroom through a different passage from the public at the scheduled trial time. Originally, this system was established to prevent sexual crime victims from encountering perpetrators, but recently, it has been frequently used by celebrities. Former Minister Cho also utilized this service last year when attending the separately indicted trial of Professor Jung, entering and leaving the courtroom privately.
As a defendant, former Minister Cho appeared in court separately from Cho Min through the general entrance. When asked by reporters about his feelings regarding Cho Min’s court appearance, he did not respond. Instead, he sharply criticized Chosun Ilbo for using an image depicting him and his family in an article titled '"Wash first" Lured into prostitution and robbed of wallet,' published on the 21st. Cho Kuk said, "They insulted and mocked me and my family with a partisan perspective and extremely low methods," adding, "How can someone do such things while wearing a mask? I will definitely hold them legally accountable."
Cho Kuk Closes Eyes Again During Cho Min’s Witness Oath
Among the family members scheduled to appear, former Minister Cho was the first to enter the courtroom. Professor Jung arrived after Cho Kuk finished talking with his lawyer and took his seat in the defendant's box. They briefly conversed before the trial began, with Cho Kuk mainly speaking and Professor Jung listening. Their conversation ended as the court session commenced.
After the court called, "Witness, please come forward," Cho Min appeared in the courtroom dressed in a black suit. Upon entering, she looked at Cho Kuk and Professor Jung seated in the defendant's box. Cho Kuk tightly closed his eyes and then opened them. He also tilted his head back and closed his eyes again when Cho Min took the witness oath.
Cho Min Refuses to Testify... "Testifying Is Not Appropriate" Emotional
Cho Min refused to testify. According to Article 148 of the Criminal Procedure Act, a witness may refuse to testify about matters that could result in punishment for themselves or their relatives. Former Minister Cho also appeared as a witness at Professor Jung’s first trial session in September last year and refused to answer over 300 questions. Professor Jung and their son Cho Won also exercised their right to refuse testimony for similar reasons when they appeared as witnesses in the trial of Choi Kang-wook, leader of the Open Democratic Party, on charges of obstruction of business.
When asked by the presiding judge about her reason for refusing to testify, Cho Min said, "During the prosecution investigation, there were things I could not accurately state or explain because the memories were from 10 years ago," adding, "I want to say what I couldn’t, but I think it is not appropriate for me, as a daughter, to testify, so I intend to refuse." She also became emotional, saying, "During the prosecution investigation, my family and I had to endure various things where we live and work, and I saw my mother’s face after a long time." Former Minister Cho could not hide his sorrow at Cho Min’s emotional state, closing his eyes tightly once again as if holding back tears.
Presiding Judge: "Not Helpful in Revealing Substantive Truth"... Cho Min Sent Home
After Cho Min refused to testify, the prosecution requested the court, saying, "This is also an opportunity to make beneficial statements in an open courtroom to discover the substantive truth," and asked the court to allow the prosecutor to guide her through each question. However, after a 10-minute recess for discussion, the court accepted Cho Min’s position. The court stated, "After reviewing the prosecutor’s questions, it appears that asking and answering each question individually in court is a procedure that does not significantly help in revealing the substantive truth." Cho Min was sent home after about 30 minutes.
In the afternoon session, Han In-seop, director of the Korea Institute of Criminology and Policy, who is suspected of being involved in the process of falsely obtaining an internship certificate at Seoul National University’s Public Interest and Human Rights Law Center for Cho Kuk’s children, will testify. Director Han appeared once as a witness in Professor Jung’s first trial but exercised his right to refuse testimony and declined to answer all questions.
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