Avoid appointment fiasco

Nominee cannot represent fairness, equality, justice

All eyes are fixed on whether President Moon Jaein will appoint his trusted aide as justice minister amid mounting doubts about the nominee's qualification. Moon will make a decision soon ― although belatedly due to a political standoff between the rival parties.

Even after the parliamentary confirmation hearing Friday, justice minister nominee Cho Kuk has yet to clear himself of allegations about misdeeds and the use of illicit privilege involving his family. That is why most South Koreans are against Cho's appointment. Many are disappointed with him and his family for their alleged involvement in an admissions fraud, dubious investments in a private equity fund and other "unfair" behavior.

At the center of the controversy are suspicions that Cho's daughter was able to enter Korea University as she was named the lead author of a pathology paper published in a medical journal in 2008. How was she listed as "lead author" of the thesis after participating in a two-week internship program at Dankook University? Few can believe this was possible for a high school student without the "help" of her parents.

She also received six scholarships from 2016 to 2018 although she flunked twice while attending the medical school at Pusan National University. Her mother, a professor at Dongyang University, was indicted Friday night on charges of fabricating a school president's award certificate in 2012 to help her daughter get admission to the medical school. Moreover, Cho and his wife face allegations that they called the Dongyang University president to beg him to lie about the bogus award certificate. They may face charges of destroying evidence.

In the eyes of President Moon, Cho is the best person to take the helm of the justice ministry. Moon is still adamant about appointing Cho, a Seoul National University professor and former senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, to reform the prosecution, which has long been the handmaiden of political power.

Of course, Cho, a left-leaning scholar and activist for social justice, has been a symbolic figure for the liberal government's judiciary reform drive. He is an architect of the reform of the prosecution aimed at preventing the law enforcement agency's abuse of power and ensuring its political neutrality and independence.

However, we must question Cho's qualification. His nomination process seems to have opened a Pandora's box of accumulated social evils that President Moon has vowed to root out. Moon and Cho's supporters may argue that the nominee has done nothing wrong legally. Yet the President should have applied stricter moral and ethical standards.

More worrisome, with the prosecution expanding its investigation, no one can rule out the possibility of Cho becoming a criminal suspect. If this happens, Cho may emerge as the country's first justice minister to face criminal charges. There are also concerns that prosecutors may find it hard to conduct a fair investigation of Cho's wife if her husband is justice minister. In any case, Cho may lose his credibility as a minister and reformer, jeopardizing Moon's prosecution reform.

Cho's nomination has also invited the ire of the people, especially students and young adults who are venting their pent-up anger over the dirty deeds committed by Cho and other privileged members of our society.

President Moon took power, helped by massive candlelit protests against former President Park Geunhye, who was impeached for corruption. Moon has vowed to create a fair society in which everyone can enjoy equal opportunities, a fair process and just outcomes. But his justice minister nominee cannot represent equality, fairness and justice anymore. He risks undermining the rule of law. It is time to make a wise decision to avoid an appointment fiasco.