검찰, 서울대•고려대•부산의료원 등 '조국 의혹' 전방위 압수수색
Amid mounting controversy over President Moon's Justice Minister nominee, the prosecution has raided multiple places related to the allegations surrounding Cho Kuk and his family.
Rival parties are still at odds over the witness selection of Cho's confirmation hearing set for next week.
Kim Mok-yeon has the latest.
Prosecutors conducted simultaneous raids Tuesday on several places related to alleged corruption by Justice Minister nominee Cho Kuk.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office sent investigators to Seoul National University and Korea University to search for evidence that Cho's daughter received preferential treatment in her college admissions.
They also raided Busan Medical Center over allegations that the head of the center helped Cho's daughter get more than 9,800 U.S. dollars in scholarships when she attended a medical graduate school in Busan.
The prosecution also raided the offices of a private equity fund, in which Cho's family has made dubious investments and on a private school foundation run by his mother.
Addressing reporters on Tuesday, the former senior presidential secretary for civil affairs said that he will not comment on the prosecution's raids and once again vowed to explain himself at his confirmation hearing.
"I hope that all these suspicions can be cleared up through the prosecutors' investigation. But allegations that are not based on truth should not block the path towards prosecutorial and judiciary reform.
I will prepare faithfully for the confirmation hearing. Thank you."
Meanwhile, over at the National Assembly, the ruling Democratic Party leadership has finally accepted a decision by the parliament's judiciary committee to hold the confirmation hearing for Cho for two days on September second and third.
The approval came after a day of bipartisan debate, in which voices of opposition emerged from the ruling bloc over both the duration and the date of the hearings.
With the latest announcement, Cho Kuk will now become the seventh minister-level nominee to undergo a two-day hearing.
"But there's still a lot for the rival parties to work through before that happens, especially the issues of witnesses to call.
The main opposition wants to question some 80 people including Cho's relatives, while the ruling party strongly opposes the idea, claiming its a "political offensive".
Kim Mok-yeon, Arirang News."
