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Justice minister nominee's family faces legal charges

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Justice Minister nominee Cho Kuk / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
Justice Minister nominee Cho Kuk / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

By Kim Hyun-bin

Dongyang University will conduct an internal investigation into allegations surrounding justice minister nominee Cho Kuk's wife and daughter, as the family is maintaining its claim that the latter received an award from the university president, something the school strongly denies.

Cho's wife Chung Kyung-sim has worked at the university since 2011 as an English professor.

If the award was fabricated, it could constitute forgery of a private document and the daughter's admission to Pusan National University (PNU) Medical School, where the award was accepted as genuine, could be canceled. Chung could be summoned for questioning by prosecutors soon.

Dongyang President Choi Sung-hae ordered his staff to establish a fact-finding team, Wednesday, to look into the controversial award and Cho's wife's involvement in the matter.

Cho's family claimed the daughter served as an assistant at Dongyang's English Education Center in a project to publish English education books for young students, and the award was given to certify her hours of community service there. The center was supervised by Chung at the time, in September 2012.

The daughter submitted the award certificate as one of her key credentials when applying to PNU in 2014.

But the Dongyang president, who has been head of the school since 1994, said he had never given such an award to Cho's daughter.

"I know Chung well, and I would certainly remember if I had given her such an award," Choi told reporters early Thursday morning in front of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office after being questioned about the issue as a witness. "It can't be issued without my knowledge because my official seal needs to be stamped on it."

He further indicated Chung urged him to give false testimony. "She called and asked me whether I remember having authorized her to give awards to assistants at the center. I said I didn't remember doing any such thing, then she asked me to tell investigators that I had done so," Choi said.

Earlier, prosecutors conducted evidentiary searches at numerous locations, including Chung's research office and the administrative offices of the university. While these were ongoing, university officials said the award given to Cho's daughter had a different serial number and format from the ones usually given by the president, but confirmed the seal on the certificate was authentic. However, the school had no record of presenting the award.

Legal experts say, if the award certificate was fabricated, Chung and her daughter could be charged with forgery of a private document and obstruction of school affairs. And if it is true that Chung requested Choi to lie, she could be also charged with instigating destruction of evidence.

Following the allegation, the main opposition Liberty Korea Party floor leader Na Kyung-won urged the prosecution to arrest and investigate Chung, saying her asking Choi to lie was an attempt to destroy evidence.

Several civic groups also filed a complaint with the prosecution against Chung for destruction of evidence and obstruction of school affairs.


Kim Hyun-bin hyunbin@koreatimes.co.kr


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