November 14, 2019 13:47
Fly-by-night Justice Minister Cho Kuk appeared for questioning by prosecutors on Thursday.
Cho resigned on Oct. 14 after just 35 days in the job amid a snowballing corruption scandal and massive street protests against his appointment.
Earlier, prosecutors indicted Cho's wife, Chung Kyung-shim, for forging documents to help her daughter gain admission to prestigious universities, dubious investments in a private equity fund run by Cho's family and tampering with evidence.
Prosecutors are also investigating whether a scholarship their daughter received from Pusan National University's medical school can be construed as a bribe to the former minister.
The daughter won a scholarship of W12 million even though her family is rich and her father had fulminated against scholarships going to anyone but those in real need (US$1=W1,169).
The dean of the medical school was appointed superintendent of Pusan Medical Center in June, and prosecutors suspect that Cho played a role in the promotion when he was chief presidential secretary for civil affairs.
Prosecutors also believe Cho played a role in getting his alma mater, Seoul National University, to issue a false record of his daughter serving as an intern there.
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