CHO’S DAUGHTER’S ACCEPTANCE CANCELLED

[Anchor Lead]

Former Justice Minister Cho Kuk’s spouse was sentenced to four years in jail for forging her daughter’s college entrance credentials. Pusan National University has decided to void its acceptance of Cho’s daughter to its medical school.

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Pusan National University has decided to cancel its acceptance of Cho Min to its medical graduate school. Rather than making its own judgment, the university cited the appellate court’s ruling for Cho’s mother, Professor Chung Kyung-shim, who was jailed for forging her daughter’s internships and awards. The university says Cho’s excellent academic performance and foreign language proficiency test results were not decisive in her admission. However, the university decided to revoke it because according to the admission rules, students who present false documents cannot be admitted.

[Soundbite] Park Hong-won(Vice President, Pusan National University) : "We believe that our university’s admission guidelines have legal grounds because they are based on the Higher Education Act and the university’s rules."

Initially the university said it would wait for the Supreme Court’s ruling. But it has concluded that accepting the appellate court’s verdict, which is sufficient to determine authenticity, would not deviate from the presumption of innocence. The university is to finalize its decision after confirmation hearings, which will likely take a couple of months. In a message posted on his social media, Cho Kuk called the university’s decision “painful” and promised to vindicate his daughter at the upcoming hearings. The health ministry says once the university’s decision is finalized, the health minister will likely be able to revoke Cho Min’s medical license.