Jokuk Couple Partially Wins First Trial in Defamation Suit Over 'Jung Kyung-shim Escape Order' Correction Report

Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk partially won the first trial in a lawsuit he filed against a media company and its affiliated reporters for reporting false information related to his wife, former Dongyang University professor Jung Kyung-shim's 'private equity fund investment allegations.'

On the morning of the 17th, the Civil Division 14 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Seo Bomin) ruled partially in favor of the plaintiff in the correction report and damages claim lawsuit filed by former Minister Cho against Segye Ilbo and two affiliated reporters.

The court ordered Segye Ilbo to post a correction notice on the homepage's initial screen with a headline of the same size as a regular article for 24 hours within 7 days from the date the judgment is finalized, and to make the corrected article searchable together. The two reporters were ordered to jointly pay a total of 10 million won, 5 million won each, to former Minister Cho and former Professor Jung.

Previously, in September 2019, Segye Ilbo reported that former Professor Jung had instructed private equity fund operators to flee overseas, and the Cho couple filed a lawsuit the following year demanding a correction and 100 million won in damages, stating "this is completely untrue."

This article contained allegations that during former Minister Cho's confirmation hearing, when suspicions about the couple's investment in the private equity fund operator, Kornig Private Equity (Kornig PE), surfaced, former Professor Jung instructed Cho Beom-dong, a fifth cousin of former Minister Cho, and private equity fund operators to "stay overseas."

Regarding this, former Minister Cho's side stated, "This is not only completely untrue but also contradicts the testimonies of witnesses who appeared in former Professor Jung's trial."