Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, who is suspected of admission fraud involving his children, is speaking as he attends the continuation of the first trial held at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 23rd. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk claimed that his daughter, Cho Min, definitely attended the international academic conference hosted by the Seoul National University Public Interest and Human Rights Law Center in 2009, and that the internship certificate was issued legitimately.
On the 23rd, Cho Kuk appeared at the trial for charges including 'child admission fraud' held at the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 21-1 (Chief Judge Ma Seongyoung) and told reporters, "I clearly saw my daughter attending the conference with my own eyes and even talked with her during the break."
Cho Kuk is accused of falsely issuing the Seoul National University Public Interest and Human Rights Law Center internship certificate submitted by his daughter when she applied to Seoul National University Medical School in 2013.
On this day, Cho Kuk took out a prepared statement and read it, asserting that the certificate was issued according to proper procedures. He explained, "In the second half of 2008, I encouraged my daughter to create a human rights club and had her study or engage in activities related to North Korean human rights and abolition of the death penalty. I also urged her to attend the international conference on the abolition of the death penalty held at Seoul National University in May 2009."
On the other hand, the prosecution believes that Cho Min did not attend the conference. Regarding this, Cho Kuk criticized, "The prosecution, which gave a free pass to Vice Minister Kim Hak-ui by claiming that the person in the villa entertainment video was not him, is now trying to punish me by saying that the left-handed high school girl in the conference video is not my daughter. Also, the first trial court for Professor Jeong Gyeong-sim ruled that she only attended the dinner gathering. All of this is absurd."
He added, "Are the multiple witnesses who said they saw my daughter at the event venue that day saying they saw a ghost?"
When asked by reporters about witnesses appearing in today's trial who had given unfavorable testimony in previous trials and how he viewed that, Cho Kuk entered the courtroom without responding.
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