[Breaking] Supreme court sentences Cho Kuk to 2 years in prison

Cho Kuk, the leader of the minor opposition Rebuilding Korea Party, was sentenced to two years in prison by the Supreme Court on Thursday on charges including fabrication of official documents and interference in a state audit of a high-ranking Busan city official.

The two-year prison term will cause the 59-year-old to immediately lose his seat in the National Assembly along with his eligibility to run for public office.

The Supreme Court's sentencing proceeded as scheduled after the top court on Monday rejected Cho's request for a postponement.

He had cited his party's part in the impeachment motion for President Yoon Suk Yeol, parliamentary voting for which is slated for Saturday. The opposition bloc submitted the motion for Yoon's impeachment after the president declared martial law on Dec. 3, accusing him of insurrection.

The Rebuilding Korea Party will retain its 12 parliamentary seats regardless of the ruling, as Cho's seat, like the other 11, is a proportional representation seat. South Korean law states that when a proportional representative loses his or her seat in the parliament, the seat in question is to be taken by a member of the same party who is next in line to get the seat.

While Cho’s party will retain its number of seats, the loss of its leader and a major player for the opposition bloc is likely to be a significant blow for the fledgling party.

The array of criminal charges faced by Cho surfaced in 2019 after he was named justice minister. Most involve irregularities surrounding his daughter's college admission to the country’s prestigious schools. Cho Kuk, is suspected of conspiring with his wife Chung Kyoung-sim and their daughter Cho Min to submit fake documents to inflate her academic and career credentials.

The Supreme Court in 2022 found Chung guilty of fabricating the junior Cho's credentials and of financial misconduct, sentencing her to four years in prison.

Following the ruling, Korea University and Pusan National University, from which Cho Min received the bachelor's degree and medical degree, respectively, revoked her admission.

The series of decisions also led to Cho Min losing her medical license last year.

The ongoing trial against Cho Kuk also includes criminal charges of him discontinuing a bribery inspection in 2017 involving then-Busan Vice Mayor Yoo Jae-soo. He is believed to have illegally abused his authority as then-senior presidential secretary to close the internal probe.

South Korea's top court in 2022 confirmed a ruling for Yoo's bribery charges, sentencing him to one year in prison, suspended for two years.