South Korean court sentences ex-minister to 2 years in prison
Former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, center, is questioned by reporters upon his arrival at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 3, 2023. The court on Friday sentenced Cho to two years in prison, after he was found guilty of creating fake credentials to help his children get into prestigious schools, a scandal that rocked the country’s previous government and sparked huge protests. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
SEOUL, South Korea -
A South Korean court on Friday sentenced a former justice minister, Cho Kuk, to two years in prison, after he was found guilty of creating fake credentials to help his children get into prestigious schools, a scandal that rocked the country's previous government and sparked huge protests.
Cho was also found guilty of abusing his powers while serving as a senior aide to former President Moon Jae-in, by blocking an investigation into a former Financial Services Commission official seen as close to Moon who was eventually arrested for taking bribes from businesspeople.
But the Seoul Central District Court decided not to place Cho under immediate arrest, saying he wasn't a threat to flee and that his wife was already serving a prison term over the charges related to their children. Cho told reporters after the ruling that he plans to appeal, and if he does within seven days he will stay out of prison until at least the appellate ruling.
The ruling culminated the public demise of the former Seoul National University law professor and liberal icon, whose political rise during the Moon government had him considered as a future presidential contender.
"I will appeal the charges that I was found guilty of and put up a more sincere argument (in court)," Cho told reporters after the ruling. He left without taking any questions.
After initially serving as Moon's senior secretary of civil affairs, Cho was appointed as justice minister in 2019 but was forced to resign months later after allegations emerged that he colluded with his wife to forge documents and certificates to help their daughter get into a medical school. The couple later faced similar accusations surrounding the education of their son.
Cho apologized for the perks his daughter has received as he stepped down as justice minister but has steadfastly denied legal wrongdoing.
The charges struck a nerve in a country grappling with widening rich-poor gaps and where teenagers toil in hyper-competitive school environments because graduating from elite universities is seen as crucial to career prospects.
Cho's legal saga also tarnished the reformist image of Moon, who vowed to restore faith in fairness and justice after winning a presidential by-election in 2017 to replace his conservative predecessor, Park Geun-hye, who was impeached and jailed for corruption.
Cho's wife, Chung Kyung-shim, had already been serving a four-year prison sentence before the Seoul court on Friday added another year to her term, after finding her guilty of additional charges related to her son and also for trying to conceal her dubious private equity investments after her husband joined Moon's government.
The court said it was clear Cho had an active role in colluding with his wife to fake the credentials of their daughter to help her get into the medical school of Seoul National University, the most coveted school in the nation.
Cho's daughter didn't make it there but later got into Pusan National University's medical school in 2015. The PNU nullified her enrollment last year, saying it was based on false records.
The court found Cho guilty of violating an anti-graft law governing public servants by receiving 6 million won ($4,800) in the form of her daughter's scholarship from Roh Hwan-jung, former head of PNU's medical school, from 2017 and 2018.
However, the court said it couldn't apply more serious bribery charges against Cho over the payments, saying it was unclear whether Roh had specifically sought favors related to Cho's job as Moon's senior civil affairs secretary. The court sentenced Roh to a sixth-month prison term that was suspended for a year.
The court found Cho and another former Moon aide, Baek Won-woo, guilty of abusing authority by blocking a government inspection into former Financial Services Commission official Yoo Jae-soo, months before Yoo became vice mayor in Busan.
Yoo, seen as a close ally to Moon, was later arrested for receiving bribes from businesspeople in exchange for favors during his time at the financial regulator. Baek was sentenced to 10 months in prison on Friday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Walmart Canada CEO says retailer not trying to profit from inflation
Walmart Canada is not trying to profit from food inflation, president and CEO Gonzalo Gebara told a parliamentary committee studying the issue Monday evening.
Hockey Canada says 2018 junior players ineligible for international competition
Hockey Canada says players from the 2018 world junior hockey team will not be considered for international competition until an investigation into an alleged sexual assault involving members of the team is complete.
Victims identified as police reveal Nashville school shooter had drawn maps, done surveillance
The suspect in a Nashville school shooting on Monday had drawn a detailed map of the school, including potential entry points, and conducted surveillance before killing three students and three adults in the latest in a series of mass shootings in a country growing increasingly unnerved by bloodshed in schools.
Landslide in Ecuador kills at least 7, with dozens missing
A huge landslide swept over an Andean community in central Ecuador, burying dozens of homes, killing at least seven people and sending rescuers on a frantic search for survivors, authorities said Monday.
How many COVID-19 vaccine doses should you have by now?
Here is a summary of the current COVID-19 vaccination guidelines from NACI, for both children and adults who are at increased risk of serious illness and those who are not.
From silicon to brain cells: How biology may hold the future of computers
As artificial intelligence software and advanced computers revolutionize modern technology, some researchers see a future where computer programmers leap from silicon to organic molecules.
Pope Francis the fashion icon? Detecting AI images reaches 'uncanny valley,' cybersecurity expert warns
After a few altered images of Pope Francis sporting a white puffer jacket convinced the online world the Catholic leader could be a part-time fashion icon, one expert warns the rapid improvement of AI could pose larger societal problems.
Freeland's budget to include grocery rebate for lower income Canadians, here's what else to expect Tuesday
The 2023 federal budget will include a one-time 'grocery rebate' for Canadians with lower incomes who may be struggling with the rising cost of food, CTV News has confirmed.
Indigenous concert in Vancouver cancelled over questions about performer's identity claims
The Vancouver Park Board and Britannia Community Services Centre cancelled an event Sunday that had been advertised as part of an Indigenous concert series in Grandview Park.
Canada
-
Slain Edmonton officers Jordan and Ryan remembered at procession, regimental funeral
Family and friends of two police officers who were shot and killed while responding to a family dispute gathered in downtown Edmonton Monday to say goodbye to their loved ones.
-
'It's horrific': Calgary house explosion injures 10 people
The Calgary Fire Department says at least 10 people were injured in a 'sudden and devastating' explosion in the city's northeast on Monday that completely destroyed one home.
-
Indigenous concert in Vancouver cancelled over questions about performer's identity claims
The Vancouver Park Board and Britannia Community Services Centre cancelled an event Sunday that had been advertised as part of an Indigenous concert series in Grandview Park.
-
'They are skin and bones': 4 puppies found abandoned in box by Manitoba highway
A Manitoba dog rescue is looking for answers after four freezing, malnourished puppies were found abandoned in a box on the side of a highway.
-
Getting an extra consultation before surgery might not give you a better outcome: Canadian study
A new study that looked at more than 300,000 patients found that a medical consultation prior to a routine surgery wasn’t connected to a better surgical outcome, suggesting these consultations might not be necessary.
-
Canada extends, shrinks anti-ISIL 'Operation Impact' mission in the Middle East
Canada is extending a scaled-down version of its military mission in Iraq and the Middle East for another two years.
World
-
Jumbled wreckage complicates U.S. chocolate factory blast probe
Investigators looking for the cause of a deadly explosion that levelled part of a Pennsylvania chocolate factory faced an even more difficult task Monday as they combed through wreckage that was extensively picked apart and moved around during the intensive weekend search for victims and survivors.
-
Zelenskyy, atomic agency chief discuss nuclear plant fears
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with UN atomic energy chief Rafael Mariano Grossi in southern Ukraine on Monday.
-
Victims identified as police reveal Nashville school shooter had drawn maps, done surveillance
The suspect in a Nashville school shooting on Monday had drawn a detailed map of the school, including potential entry points, and conducted surveillance before killing three students and three adults in the latest in a series of mass shootings in a country growing increasingly unnerved by bloodshed in schools.
-
Gender-affirming care bans expanding, access being cut: U.S. laws now targeting transgender adults
In some U.S. states, proponents of gender-affirming care bans have argued for the last few years that minors are too young to make these medical decisions — but in 2023, legislative attempts to limit the health-care options for transgender youth have expanded to a new age group: adults.
-
Doctor decries gun violence after school shooting near miss
A pediatric surgeon who left The Covenant School in Nashville moments before a shooter opened fire, killing six people, says she is horrified by the gun violence that has plagued the U.S.
-
Scotland to get 1st Muslim leader as SNP elects Humza Yousaf
Scotland's governing Scottish National Party elected Humza Yousaf as its new leader on Monday after a bruising five-week contest that exposed deep fractures within the pro-independence movement.
Politics
-
Freeland's budget to include grocery rebate for lower income Canadians, here's what else to expect Tuesday
The 2023 federal budget will include a one-time 'grocery rebate' for Canadians with lower incomes who may be struggling with the rising cost of food, CTV News has confirmed.
-
'Rigorous' cost management needed as $5B Centre Block renovation proceeds: AG report
Despite delayed decision-making by parliamentarians, Canada's massive renovation of Parliament Hill's Centre Block is being effectively managed so far, according to a new audit. However, 'rigorous' cost management will be needed as the work proceeds, cautions auditor general Karen Hogan.
-
MP Han Dong says he's retained lawyer, plans to sue Global News over interference report
Toronto MP Han Dong says he is taking legal action over a media report that alleged he spoke to a Chinese diplomat in February 2021 about delaying the release of two Canadians detained in China at the time.
Health
-
Hershey looking to remove lead, cadmium from chocolate
Hershey Co. is looking to reduce 'trace' amounts of lead and cadmium in its chocolate, chief financial officer Steve Voskiul told Reuters on Wednesday, after Consumer Reports found that some dark chocolate bars had potentially harmful levels of the heavy metals.
-
Getting an extra consultation before surgery might not give you a better outcome: Canadian study
A new study that looked at more than 300,000 patients found that a medical consultation prior to a routine surgery wasn’t connected to a better surgical outcome, suggesting these consultations might not be necessary.
-
Gender-affirming care bans expanding, access being cut: U.S. laws now targeting transgender adults
In some U.S. states, proponents of gender-affirming care bans have argued for the last few years that minors are too young to make these medical decisions — but in 2023, legislative attempts to limit the health-care options for transgender youth have expanded to a new age group: adults.
Sci-Tech
-
No atmosphere found at faraway Earth-sized world, study says
The Webb Space Telescope has found no evidence of an atmosphere at one of the seven rocky, Earth-sized planets orbiting a nearby star.
-
Scientists say they've solved the mystery of cigar-shaped comet 'Oumuamua
Scientists now say they know outerspace object ‘Oumuamua is, and the answer is more simple than some previous theories have suggested.
-
From silicon to brain cells: How biology may hold the future of computers
As artificial intelligence software and advanced computers revolutionize modern technology, some researchers see a future where computer programmers leap from silicon to organic molecules.
Entertainment
-
District attorney can't be co-counsel in Alec Baldwin case: judge
A New Mexico judge said Santa Fe's district attorney shouldn't serve as co-counsel in the manslaughter case against actor Alec Baldwin and a weapons supervisor in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer during a 2021 movie rehearsal.
-
Reese Witherspoon, agent husband make 'difficult decision to divorce'
Oscar-winning actor and producer Reese Witherspoon and her talent agent husband Jim Toth said on Friday they had made the 'difficult decision to divorce.'
-
Fox News producer who sued network last week over her Dominion testimony says she was fired
The Fox News producer who accused the right-wing network of pressuring her into giving misleading testimony in the Dominion defamation case has been fired, she disclosed in new court filings.
Business
-
Walmart Canada CEO says retailer not trying to profit from inflation
Walmart Canada is not trying to profit from food inflation, president and CEO Gonzalo Gebara told a parliamentary committee studying the issue Monday evening.
-
Japan to resume imports of Canadian processed beef, 20 years after mad cow disease
Japan is lifting the last of its restrictions against Canadian beef, 20 years after BSE, often called mad cow disease, devastated this country's cattle industry.
-
First Citizens Bank to acquire Silicon Valley Bank: FDIC
North Carolina-based First Citizens will buy Silicon Valley Bank, the tech industry-focused financial institution that collapsed earlier this month, rattling the banking industry and sending shockwaves around the world.
Lifestyle
-
Residents protest zipline on iconic Rio mountain
Some 200 protesters gathered beneath Rio de Janeiro's world-famous Sugarloaf Mountain to protest the ongoing construction of ziplines aimed at boosting tourism, alleging it will cause unacceptable impacts.
-
From hidden gems to family favourites, here's a guide to some of Canada's national parks
This past week, Parks Canada opened up its reservation system for the 2023 season, offering places to stay, hikes to take and national historic sites to visit across the country. According to three experts, here's where to travel this summer.
-
One of the world's best Chinese restaurants is in Tokyo
Japanese chef Tomoya Kawada has achieved a feat no other restaurateur has before; he's created the world's only three-Michelin-star Chinese restaurant in a non-Chinese-speaking city.
Sports
-
Vanisova's OT goal seals Toronto Isobel Cup; beats Minnesota
Tereza Vanisova scored 4:23 into overtime, and the Premier Hockey Federation's Isobel Cup is heading to Canada for the first time in its eight-year history following the Toronto Six's 4-3 win over the Minnesota Whitecaps on Sunday night.
-
Attending live sports may be good for your well-being: research
If you're feeling alone or dissatisfied, a new research suggests that watching live sports in person may help you to improve your level of well-being and reduce that feeling of loneliness.
-
Cristiano Ronaldo happy again with Portugal's national team
Cristiano Ronaldo is feeling at home again. It took only two games for him to make his peace with Portugal's national team and show he is not done impressing at the international level just yet.
Autos
-
Two-thirds of Canadians with disabilities found barriers on planes, trains: audit
About two-thirds of people with disabilities encountered barriers on federally regulated planes and trains in 2019 and 2020, highlighting a lack of consultation and enforcement by agencies involved, the federal auditor general says in a new report.
-
Germany, EU reach agreement in combustion engine row
Germany and the European Union announced Saturday that they have reached an agreement in their dispute over the future of cars with combustion engines, allowing the registration of new vehicles with such engines even after 2035 provided they use climate-neutral fuel only.
-
Most Canadians believe speeding tickets should be tied to income: poll
A new survey conducted by Research Co. found that the majority of Canadians support tying speeding ticket fines to income, otherwise known as ‘progressive punishment.’
