Cho Kuk Appears Before Prosecutors as a Witness... 'Suspicion Over Appointment as KOSME Chairman'

"Three Years of Investigation Targeting Former President Moon Jae-in... Is This Right?"

Jo Guk, leader of the Jo Guk Innovation Party and former Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs at the Blue House, appeared at the prosecution on the 31st when former National Assembly member Lee Sang-jik was nominated as the chairman of the Small and Medium Business Corporation.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Criminal Division 3 of Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Han Yeon-gyu) summoned Jo as a witness and began questioning him from 9:30 a.m. that day.

The prosecution is reportedly investigating whether Jo nominated former lawmaker Lee, founder of Eastar Jet, as chairman of the Small and Medium Business Corporation at an unofficial Blue House meeting held at the end of 2017. Since this was before the official recruitment for the chairman position, if Lee was preselected as a vice-minister level official, the prosecution considers it could be seen as a quid pro quo.

Upon appearing at the Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office, Jo told reporters, "I believe this investigation ultimately targets former President Moon Jae-in, and it has been ongoing for three years." He added, "I wonder if this is the right thing to do." He further speculated that as various allegations against President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee have recently surfaced, causing public outrage, the investigation into former President Moon's family might be an attempt to divert attention.

Later, when asked by reporters about the prosecution's search of former President Moon's daughter Dahye's residence the previous day and whether he would refuse to testify, Jo gave no specific answers and said, "I will cooperate with the investigation," before entering the building.

The investigation began following four complaints filed between September 2020 and December 2021 by the People Power Party and civic groups. The People Power Party alleged that Lee's appointment as chairman of the Small and Medium Business Corporation in 2018, the year after the unofficial meeting, was linked to the employment of Seo, former President Moon's son-in-law, as executive director at Thai Eastar Jet, a Thai low-cost airline founded by Lee that same year, and filed a complaint with the prosecution.

Seo had previously worked at a gaming company but had no practical experience in the aviation industry, raising concerns both inside and outside about the suspicious appointment of an executive at an airline with poor initial performance.