Star English Instructor Jo Jung-sik Skips Scheduled Interview Amid Controversy
Jo Jung-sik, a prominent English instructor embroiled in allegations of trading exam questions with current teachers, will not attend the scheduled interview on June 13. The production team of Channel A's show, 성적을 부탁해: 티처스2 (Please Take Care of My Grades: Teachers 2), announced that only two production members would participate in the roundtable interview, which was originally set to include Jo and fellow instructors Jeong Seung-je and Yoon Hye-jung.
The decision was made due to concerns that recent media coverage regarding Jo's case could distort the original intent of the interview. The production team expressed regret for the last-minute change, which was communicated just a day before the interview.
According to investigative media outlet 셜록 (Sherlock), the Board of Audit and Inspection discovered that Jo purchased exam questions for private mock tests from 21 current teachers. He was sent to the prosecution without detention on May 17, facing charges of violating the Anti-Corruption Act and obstruction of business. A teacher, referred to as Teacher A, who has authored materials for EBS since 2009, is accused of providing Jo with questions for 58 million KRW from January 2021 to October 2023.
In response, Jo's legal representatives from the law firm 평안 (Pyeongan), attorneys Choi Bong-kyun and Jeong Seong-yeop, stated that recent media reports contain inaccuracies that have severely damaged Jo's reputation and social trust. They asserted their confidence that all charges against Jo are baseless and clarified that he did not directly pay the implicated teacher the stated amount.
Initially, the production team had planned to proceed with the interview as scheduled, but ultimately revised their plans.
