South Korea’s former justice minister, Cho Kuk, is set to receive a presidential pardon this week after serving less than half of his prison term for academic fraud linked to his children’s college admissions, authorities announced on Monday.
Once seen as a potential presidential contender, Cho’s political career faltered in 2019 after a high-profile admissions scandal involving his family sparked nationwide protests. He and his wife, Chung Kyung-sim, were convicted and sentenced to two and four years in prison, respectively. Chung was released on parole in 2023, while Cho will walk free this Friday after serving eight months.
Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho said Cho was among 27 prominent public officials and politicians granted clemency as part of the Liberation Day pardons, noting the decision considered their contributions to the country and the seriousness of their offenses.
A former legal scholar and close aide to ex-president Moon Jae-in, Cho was appointed justice minister in 2019 but soon faced accusations of forging documents to give his children unfair advantages in college and graduate school admissions. He was also found guilty of taking an online exam on behalf of his son at a U.S. university.
While a court described his crimes as severe and an abuse of his position as a professor, the scandal initially did little to diminish his popularity. His newly formed Rebuilding Korea party won 12 seats in last year’s elections, including his own, by tapping into public dissatisfaction with the main political parties.
As a lawmaker, Cho spearheaded efforts to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol after a brief martial law declaration that threw the country into political turmoil. However, after the Supreme Court upheld his conviction in December 2024, he resigned from parliament and reported to prison.
