[Breaking] Jo Guk, Representative, Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for 'Admission Fraud and Inspection Cover-up'... Loses Parliamentary Seat

Cho Kuk, leader of the Innovation Party, who was prosecuted on charges including 'admission fraud involving his children' and 'cover-up of the Blue House inspection regarding former Busan Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs Yoo Jae-soo,' has been sentenced to two years in prison. With the Supreme Court upholding the second trial verdict as is, Cho has been detained and lost his parliamentary seat. He is also barred from running in the next presidential election.

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

On the 12th, the Supreme Court's Third Division (Presiding Justice Eom Sang-pil) dismissed both Cho's and the prosecution's appeals in the final trial on 12 charges including obstruction of business, violation of the Anti-Graft Act, and abuse of authority to obstruct the exercise of rights, thereby confirming the original sentence of two years imprisonment for Cho.

Cho was indicted in December 2019 on charges including issuing false internship certificates for his children and illicit receipt of scholarships by his daughter, Cho Min. Additionally, in January of the following year, he was further indicted for allegedly covering up the special inspection team's investigation into former Deputy Mayor Yoo while serving as Senior Secretary to the President for Civil Affairs at the Blue House.

The courts in the first and second trials sentenced Cho to two years in prison. The court found him guilty of most charges related to his children's admission fraud and the cover-up of the special inspection team's investigation. It also ruled that the 6 million won scholarship received by his daughter from former Busan Medical Center Director Noh Hwan-jung was not a bribe but violated the Anti-Graft Act.

However, Cho was acquitted of charges including bribery, instructing evidence forgery, instructing evidence concealment, violation of the Public Officials Ethics Act, and forgery and use of private documents. Although the court imposed a prison sentence, it did not order immediate detention, citing no risk of evidence destruction or flight.

Meanwhile, Cho's side submitted a request to the Supreme Court on the 4th to postpone the sentencing date, citing the emergency situation management following President Yoon Suk-yeol's declaration of martial law immediately after its lifting, but the request was denied.