Cho Kuk: "Prosecutors stab and twist prey with the sword of prosecutorial convenience"

Former Minister Cho Criticizes Prosecution Again in SNS Post
On the Day of Cho Min's Indictment, He Reacted Saying "Torture Me"

Cho Kuk (58), former Minister of Justice, posted a message titled "The Prosecution Twisting the Prosecution Convenience Knife into the 'Prey'" on his social media (SNS) on the 13th, strongly criticizing the prosecution once again for indicting his daughter, Cho Min (32).

In this post, former Minister Cho claimed, "The prosecution carried out forced confessions, which are prohibited by the Constitution and laws, outside the investigation room through media play." He pointed out, "Four years ago, while claiming that the mother (Emi, former professor Jeong Gyeong-sim) and the child (Cho Min) were accomplices, they deferred the indictment of the child when indicting the mother," adding, "Why? To secure a heavy sentence for the mother. And they succeeded."

He continued, "After locking the mother behind bars, they did not decide whether to indict the child, but publicly revealed through two press briefings that the father (Aebi) must admit all charges without dispute for the child’s indictment to be deferred," and said, "When the father issued his 13th public apology and said he would reveal specific charges in court, the media criticized the father for not confessing, and the prosecution indicted the child, claiming there was no meaning beyond confession."

Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk (left) and his daughter Cho Min [Photo by Yonhap News]

Former Minister Cho also said, "It’s either submission or public shaming followed by annihilation. So this is how the exercise of prosecutorial power granted by the people is allowed under democratic constitutional government. There is no such thing as 'My mutda' (no mercy)," continuing his harsh criticism. Lastly, he wrote, "A person without a 'knife' must helplessly take the stab and twist from someone wielding a 'knife' with their body," and "If stabbed again, there will be more bleeding, and if twisted again after stabbing, there will be more groaning."

Earlier, on the 10th, the 5th Trial Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Min-a) announced that Cho Min was indicted without detention on charges of falsifying official documents, obstruction of business, and obstruction of official duties by deception. Even on the day the indictment decision was made, former Minister Cho strongly protested on SNS, saying, "I would rather be taken to Namsan or Namyeong-dong and tortured like in the old days."

Cho Min is suspected of submitting falsified documents to Seoul National University Medical School (Uiwon) around June 2013, passing the document screening, and obstructing the admission evaluation work of the Seoul National University Medical School evaluation committee by deception, along with former Minister Cho. The prosecution believes that Cho Min falsified or forged her self-introduction letter, an internship certificate in the name of the director of the Public Interest and Human Rights Law Center at Seoul National University Law School, and a commendation from the president of Dongyang University.