President Lee Jae-myung announced on the 13th that he will appoint lawyer Jo Won-cheol (18th Judicial Research and Training Institute) as the new Minister of Legislation. Minister Jo is a peer of President Lee at the Judicial Research and Training Institute and serves as President Lee's attorney in the Daejang-dong case.
Minister Jo, born in 1962 and hailing from Seoul, graduated from Gwanak High School and studied public law at Seoul National University. He passed the 26th national judicial exam.
Minister Jo began his career as a judge in 1989 at the Daegu District Court, subsequently serving as a research judge at the Supreme Court and as a Director General at the Changwon District Court, Suwon District Court, and Seoul Central District Court. He later worked as a Chief Judge at the Western District Court and as the head of the Goyang branch of the Uijeongbu District Court before starting his own law practice in 2015.
Minister Jo is the legal representative for President Lee in the Daejang-dong case. President Lee was indicted in March 2023 on charges of breach of trust under the aggravated punishment of specific economic crimes law, violation of the conflict of interest prevention law, and corruption prevention law related to the Daejang-dong case.
The case centers on allegations that President Lee approved a structure for the Daejang-dong development project that favored private businesses during his tenure as mayor of Seongnam, causing a loss of 489.5 billion won to the Seongnam Development Corporation. There are also allegations that President Lee leaked confidential information, enabling private businesses to gain 788.6 billion won. The prosecution has also reported that President Lee informed private businesses of internal information regarding the Wirye new town development project in November 2013, resulting in an undue gain of 21.1 billion won.
The case was in the first trial process at the 33rd Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court when, after President Lee was elected, the trial was suspended. The court stated, "We will estimate the date (to be designated later) according to Article 84 of the Constitution." Article 84 of the Constitution stipulates that "the president shall not be criminally prosecuted during his term, except in cases of insurrection or treason."