Ex-Minister Cho to be summoned in power abuse probe

Former Justice Minister Cho Kuk will soon be questioned by prosecutors about his involvement in alleged power abuse involving Cheong Wa Dae. Cho is already under investigation over corruption allegations involving his family.

On Wednesday, Cho appeared before the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office for a third round of questioning on the corruption accusations. Cho allegedly influenced battery firm WFM to undersell its shares to his wife, and rigged the university applications of his son and daughter.

Cho, who refused to answer prosecutors’ questions Wednesday just as he had at the last two interrogations, denies any wrongdoing. But he faces fresh allegations of abuse of power.

He is suspected of wrongly suspending an internal inspection into Yoo Jae-soo, then a senior official at the Financial Services Commission, in 2017 and of tipping off a police investigation to influence the Ulsan mayoral election in 2018. Cho was a senior presidential secretary at the time.

Prosecutors are expected to bring him in for questioning on the power abuse allegations as early as this week.

By Choi Si-young (siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com)