South Korea to pardon ex-justice minister over children's academic fraud

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a joint press conference with Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, chairperson of the African Union, following the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit in Goyang on June 4, 2024. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP)

South Korea's former justice minister will be pardoned this week after serving less than half of his sentence for academic fraud related to his children's college admissions, authorities announced Monday.

Once a rising political star, Cho Kuk had been tipped to run for president before an academic admissions scandal engulfed his family and set off protests in 2019.

Both Cho and his wife, Chung Kyung-sim, were eventually convicted and given sentences of two and four years, respectively.

Chun was released on parole in 2023 after serving most of her sentence.

Cho will be released on Friday after eight months in prison.

"We have included 27 key public officials and politicians in the pardons list, taking into account their contributions to the state and the severity of their crimes. Key figures to be pardoned include Cho Kuk," Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho said at a press briefing announcing the Liberation Day pardons.

Formerly a high-profile legal academic and aide to ex-president Moon Jae-in, Cho was appointed to lead the justice ministry in 2019.

Shortly after, his family became embroiled in the admissions scandal, and he was accused of forging documents that would give his son and daughter advantages in their college and graduate school admissions.

He was also found guilty of taking an online exam for his son at a US university.

"The nature of his crimes is grave, as he exploited his position as a college professor to obstruct admissions processes over many years," Seoul's Central District Court said while sentencing Cho.

The verdict initially did little to slow his rising political star. His newly founded Rebuilding Korea party capitalised on voters' discontent with the two main political parties to pick up 12 seats -- including his own -- in last year's elections.

As an MP, Cho was at the forefront of efforts to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived martial law declaration, which plunged South Korea into political chaos.

But when the Supreme Court upheld Cho's conviction in December 2024, he was forced to relinquish his seat and present himself to prison.