Cho Kuk denies role in college admissions scandal that jailed wife

Cho Kuk, who was justice minister for ex-President Moon Jae-in, on Friday denied involvement in the college admissions scandal, insider trading tied to a family-owned firm and other charges that his wife was found guilty of and sentenced to jail for.

In January, the Supreme Court confirmed a four-year term for Cho’s wife Chung Kyung-shim on a dozen charges. Most notably Chung was convicted of fraudulently securing her two children’s admissions to colleges and grad schools, and trading stocks of a company acquired by a private equity where Cho’s relative was a de facto head using insider information.

Appearing at court on Friday morning, Cho’s defense team said he was not complicit with his wife in arrangements of fake internships and fabrications of other qualifications to get their children accepted to schools.

“The prosecution is assuming complicity based solely on fact that Cho is Chung’s family,” said Cho’s lawyer. “My client (Cho) was not aware of any of these activities, and he did not have a role in any capacity.”

After Chung’s conviction was finalized by the highest court, both Korea University and Busan Medical School where the couple’s daughter was a student revoked her degrees.

In connection with the high-profile scandal, Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Choe Kang-wook was handed a suspended jail term at the second trial held last month.

Choe is accused of issuing a false internship certificate for Cho’s son, who was an aspiring law student at the time, while he was an attorney at a Seoul law firm in 2017.

By Kim Arin (arin@heraldcorp.com)