Presidential secretary to resign before trial over Cho Kuk scandal

Politics 08:35 March 16, 2020

SEOUL, March 16 (Yonhap) -- A key Cheong Wa Dae aide to President Moon Jae-in offered to resign Monday in advance of a trial to start this week over his alleged document forgery for the son of a scandal-ridden former justice minister, Cho Kuk.

Choe Kang-wook, secretary for civil service discipline, expressed his intention to step down on his Facebook account, saying he does not want to be a "burden" to the president any more.

He stressed the need for the success of the Moon administration and "protection" of the president.

Choe, a former military prosecutor and lawyer, is known for a major role in the controversial shake-up of senior state prosecutors that the government carried out as part of its prosecution reform drive.

He was indicted in January for fabricating an internship certificate in 2017 for Cho's son that was submitted in his applications for graduate schools in Seoul. At that time, Choe was working at a law firm.

He has flatly denied the "obstruction of duty" charge, describing the prosecution's move as an "indictment coup" abusing its rights.

"Moreover, (I) can't turn away in the face of a persistent plot to reverse the wheel of history one way or another," Choe said in the Facebook message, apparently in line with his repeated assertion that the prosecution is trying to foil the Moon government's reform measures.

The Seoul court, meanwhile, is scheduled to begin the trial Friday for alleged corruption related to school entrance by the former justice minister's daughter and son.