Cho Kuk "Yoon, Are You Satisfied Now?"... Yoon's Side "Not Something to Respond To"

Baek Hyunjin Spokesperson "Wondering Why You Ask the Elected"

Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk is attending the continuation of the first trial for 'child admission bribery' held at the Seoul Central District Court on December 24 last year.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk asked President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, "Are you satisfied now?" regarding the cancellation of his daughter Cho Min's admission by Pusan National University and Korea University. In response, Yoon's camp said, "We find it strange why that question is being directed to the President-elect."

On the 8th, Bae Hyun-jin, spokesperson for the President-elect, answered this way at the briefing room of the Presidential Transition Committee in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, when asked, "Former Minister Cho asked the President-elect this morning if he is 'now satisfied' with the cancellation of Cho Min's admission. What is your position?"

Spokesperson Bae retorted, "We find it strange why you are asking the President-elect that. Is it reasonable?" and dismissed the question by saying, "Since it concerns the child of former Minister Cho, it does not seem like something the President-elect should answer."

Earlier, when he was Prosecutor General in 2019, President-elect Yoon had ordered investigations into the illegal investment in private equity funds by Cho's family and the admission fraud involving his children.

Spokesperson Bae added, "However, the Republic of Korea led by the new Yoon Suk-yeol government will do its best to avoid showing any unfair or unreasonable behavior that disappointed the public under the previous Moon Jae-in administration."

Former Minister Cho wrote on his social media on the same day, "The 'Yoon Suk-yeol prosecution' failed to imprison the Minister of Justice nominee over the private equity fund case, but they dragged down my child by raising issues about internships and experiential activities, and imprisoned my spouse," adding, "As a result, my child's admission was canceled."

He expressed, "I feel pain like being stabbed in the heart with an awl and having my skin peeled off with a mandoline," and said, "As a father, I want to ask President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, 'Are you satisfied now?'"

Pusan National University canceled Cho's admission to the 2015 academic year medical school on the 5th, and Korea University also revoked her admission to the Department of Environmental Ecology Engineering in the College of Life Sciences the day before.

Former Minister Cho urged, "I request President-elect Yoon, the prosecution, the media, and the National Assembly," emphasizing, "Please apply the same standards to verify the appointed senior officials of President Yoon as you have applied to me and my family."