Health Ministry to strip medical license of ex-justice minister's daughter
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The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Wednesday that it has begun the process to revoke the medical license of Cho Min, the daughter of a former justice minister who stepped down from his post over accusations he and his wife fabricated academic documents to get her into medical school.
The ministry held a hearing last week before undertaking procedures to revoke her license. She did not attend the hearing as instructed, the ministry added.
The process of canceling her medical license is expected to be completed within the next month.
After the ministry's decision was delivered to Cho, she said via her Instagram: "I received a hearing report from the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Tuesday, and it says the ministry is in the process of revoking my medical license. After completing preplanned medical volunteer activities, I will stop all medical activities and return the license."
Earlier in April, the Busan District Court ruled that Pusan National University's decision to nullify her admission to its medical school over academic fraud was reasonable, in a lawsuit filed by Cho against the university she attended in Busan.
With her admission to PNU's medical school nullified, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has started to undertake steps to revoke her medical license since April.
Cho Min, the high-profile daughter of disgraced former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, entered Korea University in 2010 and graduated in 2014. She was admitted to PNU's medical school in 2015 and passed the state medical licensing exam in 2021.
She has made headlines over suspicions that her parents fabricated various academic documents to get her into medical school. In 2019, allegations that her parents pulled strings to help her get into medical school sharply divided the nation, prompting massive rallies both in support of and against Cho Kuk being the country's justice minister. Cho ended up leaving the office just 35 days after his appointment. He and his wife were later convicted of academic fraud involving their two children.
Recently, Cho Min launched a YouTube channel. Her account has garnered some 202,000 subscribers in under two months.
Meanwhile, the Seoul Central District Court acquitted cast members of YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute on defamation charges, including attorney Kang Yong-seok, who claimed that Cho Min drove a Porsche, Tuesday.
“It is acknowledged that Cho did not drive a Porsche then. However, even if the cast members made a defamatory expression to Cho by disseminating false information, the information is of public interest related to former Minister Cho Kuk in a way, therefore, they cannot be punished,” the court ruled.
The cast members were indicted on defamation charges for spreading false information by revealing photos of a Porsche parked at the PNU medical school and relaying false statements that Cho was the driver.
By Lee Jaeeun(jenn@heraldcorp.com)
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