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[Byun Hee-jae’s Column] Cho Kuk Goes to Prison While Covering Up Yoon Suk-yeol’s Tablet Manipulation

The recent arrest of Cho Kuk, the leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, is the price for concealing the truth about the tablet manipulation...Continuing to participate in the cover-up could result in an even greater punishment.


[Byun Hee-jae, CEO of Media Watch]

Cho Kuk, leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, has ultimately been sentenced to a two-year prison term by Yoon Suk-yeol, Han Dong-hoon, and their prosecution faction. He is expected to be imprisoned soon.



Byun explains that since 2020, he and his team have been advocating for public awareness on the tablet manipulation crimes allegedly committed by Yoon Suk-yeol and Han Dong-hoon. This included holding press conferences, such as the one outside of Cho Kuk’s office, who was then a professor at Seoul National University’s Law School. Over three years, Byun published three books on the tablet manipulation issue, all of which were sent to Cho Kuk. Additionally, after the founding of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, two official letters regarding the tablet manipulation issue were sent to Representative Cho.

Byun asserts that any reasonable person who reads even one of the books would be convinced of the tablet manipulation. However, Cho Kuk ultimately sided with concealing the truth. The crimes allegedly committed by Yoon and Han, involving evidence fabrication in a case related to the president at the time, are described as serious offenses. Byun questions how one can act in Cho Kuk’s masochistic behavior, supporting the cover-up only to later face imprisonment orchestrated by the same figures. 

Byun also draws a parallel with conservative groups that initially supported Park Geun-hye’s innocence but later aligned with Yoon and Han, despite the latter allegedly framing Park with bribery charges. This contradiction, described as a betrayal of rationality, led Byun to hope that Cho Kuk, as one of Yoon and Han’s victims, would come out and correct such distortions.

Byun further highlights that Cho Kuk, then the senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, was involved when Byun was preemptively detained without trial by Yoon Suk-yeol (then Seoul Central District General Prosecutor) and Han Dong-hoon (then Deputy Chief Prosecutor). This detention was linked to Byun’s claim that the tablet reported by JTBC did not belong to Choi Seo-won but to Kim Han-su, a Blue House administrator. Byun questions whether Cho Kuk, as a key official at the time, collaborated with Yoon and Han or had insight into the situation, urging Cho to clarify his role.


Byun strongly criticizes Cho Kuk for continuing to cover up the alleged tablet manipulation crimes of Yoon Suk-yeol and Han Dong-hoon, even as he faces imprisonment. This, according to Byun, leads to the conclusion that Cho Kuk was deeply involved in Byun’s detention process during his tenure as Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs. Byun further suggests that former president Moon Jae-in, Cho’s superior, and broadcaster Kim Eo-jun, who allegedly influenced Moon, were also connected to this cover-up.


Byun recalls an encounter with Kim Eo-jun, who outright refused to discuss the tablet manipulation case on air. Kim Eo-jun is accused of protecting Yoon Suk-yeol throughout Moon Jae-in’s presidency, allegedly paving the way for Yoon’s presidential ambitions. Cho Kuk’s frequent appearances on Kim’s show are portrayed as evidence of loyalty to this network, raising doubts about Cho’s willingness or ability to confront Yoon.


Byun speculates that Cho Kuk might be hoping for an early impeachment of Yoon or a coalition government led by Lee Jae-myung or Moon Jae-in to secure his release. In contrast, Byun plans to file a political asylum claim with the U.S. Immigration Office in Los Angeles, exposing Yoon Suk-yeol and Han Dong-hoon’s alleged crimes. Byun believes this will attract significant attention, especially amid increased interest in Yoon’s controversial actions, such as his alleged consideration of martial law.


Domestically, Byun predicts the truth about the tablet manipulation will eventually come to light, regardless of political alignment. Whether through Lee Jae-myung’s camp needing a weapon against Yoon in an early presidential election or conservatives seeking to remove Han Dong-hoon, the tablet issue is expected to resurface. Byun asserts that while truth can sometimes be temporarily suppressed, it cannot be buried once uncovered.


Byun warns Cho Kuk and members of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party against their alleged focus on concealing Yoon’s crimes rather than fulfilling their promises to the public. The party is accused of deceiving voters to gain 12 seats in the National Assembly, while simultaneously obstructing efforts to expose the tablet manipulation. Specific individuals like Jung Chung-rae of the Democratic Party and Park Eun-jung of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party are singled out for obstructing Byun’s testimony during the impeachment hearing of prosecutor Kim Young-chul.


Byun dismisses Cho Kuk’s two-year sentence for academic fraud related to his children’s college admissions as trivial compared to the consequences of covering up Yoon’s crimes. They warn that once the truth about the tablet manipulation is exposed, both in the U.S. and South Korea, Cho Kuk and his party will face severe repercussions as collaborators in Yoon’s alleged misconduct.


To conclude, Byun urges Cho Kuk to reflect during his time at Seoul Detention Center. He should question whom he was protecting by covering up Yoon and Han’s crimes, who caused him to face harsher punishments as an accomplice, and whether he can still trust those individuals. Byun encourages Cho to directly seek answers to these questions.



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