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Where is your conscience, Mr. Cho?

Published: 13 Feb. 2024, 20:25

Former Justice Minister Cho Kuk declared Tuesday that he will create a new political party to “end the incompetent, prosecutor-led government.” In a declaration in Busan to establish a new party, he said, “The April 10 parliamentary elections should be a chance to punish the reckless and incapable Yoon Suk Yeol administration and restore the democracy of our country facing the crises,” pledging to “take that path together with the people.”

Cho stressed the importance of forming a joint front against the conservative administration, hinting at the possibility of establishing a satellite party to the Democratic Party (DP) to join the opposition in battling the government. In his earlier visit to the grave of former president Roh Moo-hyun in South Gyeongsang, Cho vowed to rekindle the flame for democratic values of the country.

Cho is free to create a new party or run in the national election. But we wonder if he is really qualified to do that. Following an earlier court ruling that found him guilty of corruption over her children’s college admissions and abuse of power to stop an inspection on one of his allies, Cho was sentenced to two years in jail in his second trial last week, the same as in the first trial. But he said he will now bring the case to the Supreme Court.

The former justice minister is preparing to run in the election less than a week after the court ruling to become a lawmaker without any apology or explanation for what he did. Is the National Assembly really a safe haven for criminals? Cho was found guilty of manipulating documents to help his offspring get into top colleges. How could he feign a politician suffering political persecution? Some of his frantic supporters may still back him, but a majority of people are embarrassed by his brazenness.

Former President Moon Jae-in and the DP are also sounding alarms. In a meeting Monday with Cho, Moon embraced the “inevitability of the former justice minister creating a new party” if he cannot return to the DP. We are dumbfounded at the shameless remarks by the former president who pushed the whole country into chaos by appointing Cho as justice minister.

Opinions of party insiders vary over whether the DP should draw Cho in a big tent against the government. But Rep. Jung Chung-rae, a senior member of the DP, proposed to meet Cho “in a big sea of punishing the government.” No matter how important it is to establish a joint front against the government, it does not make sense for the DP to help a possible convict get elected as legislator through the backdoor. DP leader Lee Jae-myung also cannot avoid responsibility for upholding the nonsensical proportional representation system. Voters are closely watching them.