Seoul: An appellate court has upheld a fine of 10 million won (US$7,024) for the daughter of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk on charges of university admissions fraud. The Seoul Central District Court maintained the previous decision that fined Cho Min for document forgery, business obstruction, and obstruction of official duties by fraudulent means.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Cho, aged 33, was indicted for allegedly submitting falsified documents, including an admission form, a cover letter, and a certificate of commendation, to Pusan National University's Graduate School of Medicine in June 2014. These documents were reportedly forged with the assistance of her mother. Furthermore, Cho faced charges of colluding with her parents to submit fabricated documents to Seoul National University College of Medicine in June 2013.
Earlier, in March, a district court sentenced Cho to a fine of 10 million won, leading to appeals from both sides. The prosecution had initially sought a one-year prison sentence, suspended for three years. However, on Wednesday, the court dismissed the appeals, citing "no special circumstances" to warrant altering the previous ruling.