Cho Kuk Requests Postponement of Supreme Court Verdict Date... "Managing Emergency Martial Law Situation"

Jo Guk, leader of the Jo Guk Innovation Party, has requested the court to postpone the scheduled appellate court verdict on the 12th, citing President Yoon Seok-yeol's handling of the emergency martial law situation as the reason.

Cho Kuk, Representative of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party. Yonhap News

According to the legal community on the 4th, Jo's side applied to the court for a postponement of the verdict date. The appellate court verdict for Jo is scheduled to be held at 11:45 a.m. on the 12th.

Jo's side reportedly included in the postponement request the reason that, as the leader of the second opposition party, he must devote full efforts to party affairs to manage the situation regarding President Yoon Seok-yeol's declaration and lifting of emergency martial law.

A court official explained, "The request for postponement is not a right to apply but a call for the court to exercise its authority, so the court will review and decide accordingly."

Jo was prosecuted on charges including his children's admission fraud and his daughter Jo Min's scholarship fraud. He is also accused of covering up the special inspection team's investigation into former Busan Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs Yoo Jae-su while serving as the Blue House's Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs.

In February, the second trial court sentenced him to two years in prison, the same as the first trial's judgment. Both the first and second trials did not order Jo's detention in court.