‘Cho Kuk's Son Intern’ False Statement by Choi Kang-wook, Appeals Against Fine Sentence

Former Democratic Party lawmaker Choi Kang-wook, who was sentenced to a fine in the appellate court for issuing a false internship certificate to the son of Cho Kuk, leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, and publicly claiming “he actually interned,” has appealed to the Supreme Court.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the legal community on the 24th, Choi’s side submitted a notice of appeal to the Seoul High Court Criminal Division 6-3 (Presiding Judges Lee Ye-seul, Jeong Jae-oh, Choi Eun-jung) on the 21st.

Earlier, on the 19th, the Seoul High Court Criminal Division 6-3 dismissed both Choi’s and the prosecution’s appeals in the appellate trial for violation of the Public Official Election Act, upholding the original sentence of an 800,000 won fine.

The appellate court, like the first trial, judged that Choi’s claim that “the statement was merely an expression of opinion and not a factual announcement” was false. Regarding Choi’s allegation of “prosecutorial abuse of power,” the court stated, “Considering the series of procedures including the indictment, the process was lawful, and there is no objective evidence to suggest improper intervention by Son Jun-sung (former head of the Investigation and Information Policy Office at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office),” and thus “the claim of prosecutorial abuse is not accepted.”

Immediately after the sentencing, Choi said, “I cannot understand what this court is thinking at all, and I believe it must be corrected by the Supreme Court.”

During the 2020 general election period, Choi appeared on an internet podcast and made statements implying that the son of Cho Kuk had actually interned, in relation to allegations of issuing a false internship certificate, and was tried for publicly announcing false facts, receiving an 800,000 won fine in the first trial.

Meanwhile, Choi lost his parliamentary seat after the Supreme Court confirmed an 8-month prison sentence with a 2-year probation last September for issuing a false internship certificate to Cho Kuk’s son.