Seoul National University's disciplinary committee decided Tuesday to fire former Justice Minister Cho Kuk as law professor after a court sentenced him to a two-year prison term on charges of using his influence to get academic favors for his children, including university admissions.
In February, the Seoul Central District Court gave the prison term to Cho, who served under the previous Moon Jae-in administration, on charges of business obstruction, bribery and abuse of power.
Cho was indicted in December 2019 and the next month the university relieved him of his duties at its law school.
The disciplinary committee is required to immediately report its decision to the university's president, who is supposed to carry out the punishment within the following 15 days.
The investigation into Cho was launched in August 2019 after he was picked as justice minister nominee by Moon. He resigned as justice minister just 35 days after taking office as the scandal sparked public fury.
Cho's wife Chung Kyung-sim, a former professor at Dongyang University, is also serving a four-year prison sentence on charges, including forgery, connected to her daughter's admission to a medical school.
Legal representatives of the ex-justice minister expressed regrets over the university's "hasty and excessive" action in a press release right after the school's decision.
They said Cho will immediately appeal the disciplinary decision to "defend his basic rights as a professor and restore his honor as a former high-level public official."
Source: Yonhap News Agency