![Professor Kyung-Shim Chung, who has been handed over to trial on charges such as corruption in the entrance examination for children and allegations of private equity investment, is attending the first trial trial held at the Seoul Central District Court on the afternoon of the 23rd. [이충우 기자]](https://i0.wp.com/file.mk.co.kr/meet/neds/2020/12/image_readtop_2020_1315429_16087218734482540.jpg?w=560&ssl=1)
Professor Kyung-Shim Chung, who has been handed over to trial on charges such as corruption in the entrance examination for children and allegations of private equity investment, is attending the first trial trial held at the Seoul Central District Court on the afternoon of the 23rd. [이충우 기자]Most of the charges have been admitted by the courts, such as corruption in the entrance examination by the family of former Justice Minister Cho Kook, who has been heating Korean society since September last year, and illegal investment in private equity funds. Former Minister Cho has insisted that the prosecution conducted a’target investigation’ against his wife, Kyung-Shim, but the prosecution won a complete victory in the first round.
The allegations of irregularities in the entrance examination, including forgery of the controversial daughter’s citation from Tong Yang University, and investments using undisclosed information were all acknowledged as true, and the court judged that Jeong had hidden the proceeds of the crime. In particular, the court judged that not only Chung, but also Cho was involved in the confirmation of the Seoul National University Public Interest Human Rights Law Center and Hotel Aqua Palace intern, so it is likely to have an impact on the trial of Cho. Immediately after the sentence, Jeong was taken to the southern Seoul detention center.
If the judgment is finalized, the admission of Jung’s daughter, Jo Mo, can also be canceled. Pusan National University has a policy of canceling admission to all of Jeong’s daughters if there is a final judgment by the court on the alleged irregularities in the entrance exam. Korea University also said, “If a serious defect is found, admission can be canceled through a process such as deliberation.”
On the 23rd, the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Agreement 25-2 (President Judge Lim Jeong-yeop) sentenced Jeong to 4 years in prison, 500 million won in fine, and 138.94 million won in additional fines at a trial on charges such as forgery of his private documents. Only 4 out of 15 were judged innocent. All of the remaining 11 charges were convicted at least in part. The charges of Mr. Jeong are largely divided into △appropriation irregularities, △unlawful investment in private equity funds, and △destruction of evidence. First of all, all charges of making false internship confirmations and citations were acknowledged.
The judge said, “For her daughter’s college and medical school, Dankook University, Gongju University, Seoul National University Public Interest Law Center, Hotel Aqua Palace, and KIST were each issued a false intern certificate.” He also explained, “It interfered with the admissions affairs of all medical staff at Seoul National University and Pusan National University, such as writing a certificate of research at Tong Yang University with false information and forging the citation of the president of Tong Yang University.” He added, “It prevented the institutions from selecting talented people fairly, caused disappointment and disappointment to many people who competed fairly, and made our society abandon the belief in the entrance examination system,” he said. “Severe punishment is inevitable.” Added. In particular, the fact that the file stamped with the president was forged caught the ankle.
In particular, it was determined that Cho was directly involved in the confirmation of the Seoul National University Public Interest Law Center and Hotel Aqua Palace internship. The Ministry of Justice said, “Cho, with the help of the staff holding the seal of the Public Interest Human Rights Law Center, forged an internship certificate without the permission of Han In-seop, then head of the Public Interest Human Rights Law Center (currently, the Director of the Criminal Policy Research Institute).”
However, he explained, “Because it is not enough to say that former Minister Cho and Mr. Chung were conspiring for counterfeiting, they applied the crime of writing false official documents.” Regarding the confirmation of the Aqua Palace intern, he said, “I received a seal in the name of the CEO after Cho wrote the contents arbitrarily.”
Most of them were convicted of unfairly gaining profits by investing in WFM through Korlink PE. Korink PE is a private equity fund manager with former Minister Cho’s fifth nephew, Jo Mo, as the beneficial owner. The court found it guilty of investing under the name of Mr. Jeong using undisclosed information and investing in a new name to conceal criminal proceeds and avoid the obligation to sell public officials’ shares. However, he was found not guilty of receiving money from Korink PE in the name of consulting fees.
The judge said, “Information that the Gunsan plant will be operational in February 2018 is undisclosed important information that could have a significant impact on the WFM stock price if investors know it. The investor who sold 100,000 WFM shares to Jung’s brother without knowing this. I sold the stock,” he explained.
He said, “I made a false stock transfer agreement and concealed the criminal proceeds obtained from market appreciation.” He also added, “Before the former Minister of Civil Affairs and Civil Affairs retired from office, there have been reports of the ministerial affairs. It is also recognized as guilty of borrowing the name of a younger brother and other financial transactions.
Judgments on the alleged destruction of evidence were mixed. The court admitted guilty to the charge of instructing the destruction of the data related to the younger sibling, saying, “In order to prepare for the investigation, the material related to the younger brother was deliberately destroyed.” However, regarding the suspicion of teaching materials to conceal materials at home and Tongyang University, he said, “It is admitted that we ordered concealment to the asset manager, but we must conceal the hard disk together and take out the PC to see it as an accomplice to destroy evidence, not as a teacher to destroy evidence. It means that he was not accused of destroying evidence, but as a teacher of destroying evidence.
The decision of the court on this day is expected to have an effect on the trial of Cho. The 21st Division of the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Agreement (President Judge Kim Mi-ri) is hearing a trial on charges of interfering with the exercise of ex officio abuse by Cho. The false preparation of the intern certificate at the Hotel Aqua Palace and the Seoul National University Public Interest Human Rights Law Center is also included in the prosecution by Cho. If this part is acknowledged as true, then it is inevitable that Cho is also convicted.
He is also charged with neglecting the supervision of former Financial Policy Bureau Director Yoo Jae-soo of the Blue House Special Inspectorate during his tenure at Min Jeong-suk, and also charges of accepting a bribe at Pusan National University in the name of a daughter scholarship.
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