"My Work Is Done" Will Jo Seong-eun Depart Soon?

"I Will No Longer Appear in the Media"
Preparing to Depart for the U.S. Due to Business Schedule

Cho Seong-eun, former vice chairman of the election campaign committee of the United Future Party (now the People Power Party), who revealed himself as the whistleblower in the allegation of instigating the prosecution of ruling party figures through the opposition party, appeared on JTBC Newsroom on the afternoon of the 10th for an interview. 2021.9.10 [Provided by JTBC. Resale and DB prohibited] [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] Jo Seong-eun, who was at the center of controversy as the whistleblower in the so-called ‘accusation coaching’ scandal, stated that "my duty is done" and that she will no longer appear in the media. She is reportedly preparing to depart for the United States soon.

On the 17th, Jo appeared on YTN Radio and said, "As of yesterday, this case has been assigned from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to the Central District Prosecutors' Office Public Investigation Division 1," adding, "Following the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Department, the High-ranking Officials’ Crime Investigation Office has also started an investigation. From my position as a public interest whistleblower, I will only cooperate with the investigation. I think it is appropriate to reduce my role in the media now."

Regarding some media reports claiming that Jo personally delivered the accusation document she received from Kim Woong, a member of the People Power Party (then a candidate), to the party, she explained, "I only happened to mention to lawyer Kim Yeon-ho, who was then the head of the Legal Support Group, that there was an accusation document that needed to be submitted to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office," adding, "(Lawyer Kim) said he would review it all at once, and after that, I have not met him again. It was about five minutes, and the mention of the word ‘accusation document’ itself was less than a minute." However, considering that the accusation document sent to her on April 8, 2020, and the actual accusation document against Choi Kang-wook, a member of the Open Democratic Party, in August of the same year were similar, she is confident that there was a sufficient possibility that the accusation document entered the party through someone other than herself. Jo also expressed regret to Representative Kim, who trusted her and handed over the accusation document. On the radio, she said, "Regardless of legality, I felt bad about having to disclose even the part that was delivered to me based on trust." Jo, affiliated with the People Power Party, stated clearly that she has no intention of leaving the party, saying, "I believe my actions were beneficial to the party. If they discipline or expel me, it would be a group condoning crime."

Before the interview, she also expressed apologies to Park Ji-won, the Director of the National Intelligence Service, via her Facebook. She said, "I think unnecessary stories arose from the unfounded connection theory between Park Ji-won and the Yoon Seok-yeol campaign in a completely unrelated case this time." Jo is reportedly preparing to leave for the United States due to business schedule reasons.