"Is There No Freedom to Do Pull-Ups in One's Homeland?"... Supporters Verify 'Pull-Up Relay' on SNS

Photo by Jo Guk, screenshot from Facebook.

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk has sparked controversy by posting a video of himself doing pull-ups on Facebook despite his wife, Professor Jeong Gyeongshim of Dongyang University, being imprisoned. Supporters of Cho have been posting 'pull-up relay' certification posts, asking, "Does Cho Kuk not even have the freedom to do pull-ups?"

Recently, Cho shared videos of pull-ups posted by his supporters on his Facebook page. Participants in the 'pull-up relay' included Professor Woo Hee-jong of Seoul National University, Professor Kim Dong-gyu of Dongmyung University, Yoo Jae-ho, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea from Seongnam City Council, and poet Kim Ju-dae.

Among them, Professor Woo Hee-jong posted a pull-up video with the message, "For physical and mental health together with Cho Kuk," and added, "Let's create a world where people live happily together. Let's participate in changing this suffocating society through small daily actions." In response, Cho praised him, saying, "Professor Woo Hee-jong, who stands at the forefront of social reform including prosecutorial reform, delivered a perfect pull-up."

Poet Kim Ju-dae also posted a video attempting pull-ups with the caption, "Pull-up relay to support prosecutorial reform and Professor Cho Kuk, and to mock the trash media." Cho shared this, commenting, "The brave challenge of my peer, poet Kim Ju-dae!"

Earlier, Cho had shared a video of himself doing pull-ups with his Facebook friends upon request to verify his pull-up skills.

When sharing the video, Cho emphasized, "Absolutely no sharing or spreading," adding, "I am posting this because some said the identity was not confirmed in the previous video. It will be taken down soon."

Supporters of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk are posting 'chin-up relay videos' on Facebook. The photo shows poet Kim Joo-dae doing a chin-up. Photo by Cho Kuk Facebook screen capture.

However, some criticized whether it was appropriate to post such videos given that Professor Jeong, Cho's wife, was recently sentenced to seven years in prison, fined 900 million won, and ordered to pay a confiscation of about 160 million won in the appellate court's final hearing.

Regarding this, Kim Geun-sik, head of the People Power Party's Songpa District branch in Seoul, said, "If you want to steady your mind and train through pull-ups, it is normal to do it quietly alone. Especially when your wife is imprisoned, you are on trial, and your daughter might have her academic records canceled, if you want to stay composed through pull-ups, you should grit your teeth and do it quietly alone."

He continued, "Claiming innocence in the appeal while your wife is imprisoned, and having someone film your back and posting pull-up videos on Facebook?is that truly mental and physical training?" He harshly criticized, "Such pull-up displays by Cho Kuk are by no means about endurance and discipline. It's just a kind of extreme attention-seeking behavior."

Former Saenuri Party (now People Power Party) lawmaker Jeon Yeo-ok also mocked on her blog, saying, "The greatest punishment for Cho Kuk would be a 'ban on SNS.' On the day the prosecution sentenced his wife Jeong Gyeongshim to seven years, I wondered about 'Cho Kuk's time.' But kindly, he gave us this SNS service! Thumbs up."