"Confident that a Second and Third Jo Guk Will Emerge"
Expresses Caution Regarding Next Presidential Election Candidacy
Jo Guk, former leader of the Jo Guk Innovation Party, who was sentenced to two years in prison in the second trial for his children's admission corruption, stated that he has no intention of begging President Yoon Seok-yeol for a pardon even if his sentence is confirmed by the Supreme Court.
On the 5th, Jo Guk appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' and said, "There are things in the lower court rulings that I absolutely cannot agree with," adding, "There are various examples, but I cannot understand the violation of the Anti-Graft Act because it seems that the scholarship my daughter received while attending graduate school was ultimately received by Jo Guk. However, whatever decision comes from the Supreme Court, I must accept it."
Former leader of the Innovation Party, Cho Kuk, who was sentenced to two years in prison in the second trial for his child's admission corruption, stated that even if his sentence is confirmed by the Supreme Court, he has no intention of begging President Yoon Seok-yeol for a pardon. [Photo by Yonhap News]
Regarding the possibility that he might be imprisoned if his sentence is confirmed by the Supreme Court, he said, "The Jo Guk Innovation Party has 11 other members besides me, and even if the worst outcome happens to me, there will still be 12 members of the National Assembly," adding, "After the general election, our basic support rate has been maintained at about 13%. If the worst happens to me, I think a membership doubling movement will take place."
He continued, "There will be temporary confusion, but rather the number of party members will increase," and said, "The second Jo Guk, the third Jo Guk, even the 100th and 1000th Jo Guk will appear," adding, "I believe that through collective intelligence, we can overcome such crises sufficiently."
Regarding the possibility of President Yoon Seok-yeol granting him a special pardon, he said, "I have no intention of begging President Yoon for a pardon," and added, "If he pardons me, I will accept it, but I have no intention of changing my political actions or living in a way that begs for a pardon. Would I really beg or petition President Yoon? That's an absurd idea."
On whether he will run in the next presidential election, he said, "It is not important whether I run or not in the next election," adding, "If I cannot run, another politician from our party will run. Regardless of the Supreme Court ruling, I have declared several times that I will be involved in politics for at least 10 years. I do not know how we will participate in the next presidential election."
Additionally, he expressed confidence that the 'Han Dong-hoon Special Prosecutor Act'?which the Jo Guk Innovation Party proposed as the first bill of the 22nd National Assembly (a bill concerning the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate allegations of misconduct during Han Dong-hoon's tenure as Minister of Justice and prosecutor, as well as family-related allegations such as his children's ghostwritten theses)?will pass the plenary session in July.
Meanwhile, Jung Kyung-shim, Jo Guk's wife, who was investigated and indicted during the Jo Guk scandal, was sentenced to four years in prison for children's admission corruption charges and is currently serving her sentence. Their daughter, Jo Min, who was indicted for admission corruption, was fined 10 million won in the first trial. Jo Guk himself was sentenced to two years in prison in the first and second trials, which included charges related to his children's admission corruption, and the Supreme Court appeal is currently underway.
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