Moon hit by trusted aide's scandal

President Moon Jaein is facing growing calls to withdraw his nomination of Cho Kuk as justice minister due to a widening scandal involving one of his most trusted aides.

The allegations of irregularities regarding his daughter's academic history, in addition to the possible evasion of military service and the dual nationality of his son, who also holds U.S. citizenship, have produced a huge public backlash. A recent poll showed that almost 50 percent of respondents thought Cho was an inappropriate choice for justice minister.

Even some ruling party lawmakers have started to voice concerns about the impact of the Cho scandal on Moon's leadership. "The people who supported Moon in the presidential election and our party are more actively raising questions about this issue," Rep. Park Yongjin of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said in a radio interview, Wednesday. "If the nominee fails to give an explanation that is convincing to the public, the President will be faced with an inevitable decision."

In particular, the younger generation of voters who have supported President Moon's special focus on establishing a fair and just society, are feeling a sense of betrayal and expressing outrage on social media amid their own tough struggle to get into good schools and find stable jobs in the hyper competitive Korean society. Many angry citizens are questioning whether Cho is really the right choice to spearhead Moon's cherished reform drive to promote transparency and fairness, the "core values" of the Moon administration, in the judiciary.

Angry citizens have joined an online petition on Cheong Wa Dae's website to call on the presidential office to begin a process for the education ministry's cancellation of Cho's daughter's undergraduate degree from Korea University. But as of Wednesday, the petition was closed to public viewing.

Hwang Kyoahn, chairman of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) called on Moon to take responsibility for the Cho scandal. "From the beginning, Cho was not qualified to serve in a public post," Hwang said during a party meeting at the National Assembly. "The public is angry that this administration has flaunted someone like Cho as a symbol of reform." Hwang called on the President to make a public apology and withdraw the nomination.

It is feared that Moon's presidency will suffer irrecoverable damage if he pushes through the appointment despite the growing indignation over the controversial nominee and fervent protests from the opposition. Moon's appointments of multiple figures to minister-level posts and other top government positions without the Assembly's confirmation hearing report has triggered criticism of his disregard toward the Assembly and public sentiment.

Despite the growing calls to withdraw Cho's nomination, Cheong Wa Dae has stood by the former senior presidential secretary for civil affairs. "Suspicions that are different from the facts have been exaggerated," Yoon Do-han, senior secretary for public communication, said during a press briefing. "All the allegations that the media has raised will be verified during the National Assembly's confirmation hearing."

Cho's 28-year-old daughter has faced suspicions of receiving preferential treatment since high school that allegedly facilitated her admission to Korea University and the Graduate School of Medicine at Pusan National University due to the connections and influence of her parents. Cho has denied all allegations involving his daughter, calling them "fake news," and denounced the media's "invasion" of his family's privacy during a meeting with reporters.

Cho left the Cheong Wa Dae last month before being nominated for the post on Aug. 9 in a Cabinet reshuffle despite incessant criticism surrounding his performance at the presidential office, marked by failures to properly screen candidates for high-level government posts and maintaining strict discipline.