The son of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk has decided to relinquish his master’s degree following years of controversy over admission irregularities, his lawyer said Monday.

Cho Won, 26, was admitted to Yonsei University Graduate School in 2018 and received a master’s degree in political science in 2021. But a court found the internship certificate he submitted during the admission screening had been falsified.

“After long contemplation, Mr. Cho has decided to return his master’s degree from Yonsei University Graduate School due to the controversy surrounding the document submitted during his admission process,” his lawyer said in a press release.

Cho has already notified the school of that intention, he added.

In 2021, Rep. Choe Kang-wook of the main opposition Democratic Party received an eight-month suspended prison term for issuing the false certificate while he was working at a law firm.

On Friday, Cho Kuk’s daughter, Cho Min, also announced she would drop lawsuits she filed to reverse the decisions of her two alma maters to revoke her admissions over academic fraud allegations.

The siblings’ moves came amid rumors that their disgraced father is planning to return to the political scene ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections.

Cho Kuk resigned as justice minister in October 2019, just one month after his appointment, following allegations of academic fraud involving his children.

His wife is currently serving a four-year prison sentence on charges, including document forgery, related to her daughter’s admission to a medical school.

In February, a district court sentenced Cho Kuk to a two-year prison term in the same case.

Source: Yonhap News Agency