Supreme Court Confirms Two-Year Sentence for Jo Guk, Immediate Loss of Parliamentary Seat

On December 12, Jo Guk, the leader of the Justice Party (조국혁신당), received a confirmed two-year prison sentence from the Supreme Court for charges related to his children's college admission fraud and the suppression of a Blue House investigation. This ruling marks the final judicial decision five years after his indictment in December 2019.

The Supreme Court's third division, led by Justice Eom Sang-pil, upheld the original sentence, which also included a fine of 6 million won. As a result, Jo immediately lost his parliamentary seat and, under party law, his membership in the party, necessitating his resignation as party leader. Following his prison term, he will be barred from running for office for five years.

The prosecution announced plans to execute the sentence swiftly, instructing Jo to report to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office by December 13. He is expected to be incarcerated within a day, although his legal team has requested a delay for logistical reasons related to the transition of party leadership. According to regulations, a postponement of up to three days is permissible, suggesting he could be imprisoned by December 16 at the latest. In the meantime, Baek Seon-hee, the party's special committee chair, will take over Jo's proportional representation seat during the upcoming National Assembly vote on the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol scheduled for December 14.

Despite receiving prison sentences in both the first and second trials, Jo was not immediately detained, allowing him to continue his political activities, including founding a new party and running for the National Assembly. This has drawn criticism from legal experts, who describe it as a case of 'delayed justice.'

After the ruling, Jo held a press conference at the National Assembly, stating, "I humbly accept the verdict. I will take a brief pause, but this does not signify a retreat for the Justice Party."

Additionally, Choi Kang-wook, a former member of the Democratic Party (더불어민주당), was also sentenced to a fine by the Supreme Court for issuing false internship confirmation letters to Jo's son during the 2020 general election.

The Supreme Court's ruling was delivered in courtroom number two at 11:45 AM on December 12, where Justices Eom Sang-pil, Oh Seok-jun, and Lee Suk-yeon confirmed the sentence. The court stated that there were no errors in the original guilty verdict regarding the principles of evidence, presumption of innocence, abuse of prosecutorial authority, and misinterpretation of legal principles concerning the crimes.

The 'Jo Guk incident' began in August 2019 when Jo was nominated as Minister of Justice, leading to allegations of college admission fraud and private equity fund irregularities. Despite the controversies, President Moon Jae-in appointed him as Minister of Justice in September 2019. Jo resigned after 35 days, claiming he would reform the prosecution, and was subsequently indicted in December 2019.

Jo's trial faced significant delays, with the first trial taking over three years to conclude. The presiding judge, Kim Mi-ri, was criticized for allegedly prolonging the proceedings. The first trial concluded in February 2023, with the court finding Jo guilty of most charges related to his children's admission fraud and abuse of power.

Following the second trial's ruling in February 2024, Jo announced his intention to run in the general elections, despite already facing a loss of parliamentary privileges. He founded the Justice Party in March 2024 and was elected as a proportional representative in April.

With the Supreme Court's ruling, Jo will lose his parliamentary seat immediately and is expected to begin serving his sentence soon. Observers note that this situation may lead to the Justice Party being absorbed into the Democratic Party, as the political landscape shifts without Jo as a central figure.