South Korean Justice Minister Cho Kuk resigned today for not wanting to influence the President and the government by personal scandals.

In his resignation, the Justice Minister apologized to the people for scandals, including allegations of corruption, involving his family members. Cho insists that he has fulfilled his role in reforming the Prosecutor's Office to a certain extent and hopes that his successor will continue this task.

Cho Kuk was sworn in as Justice Minister in early September. His departure is expected to inflict political blows on President Moon Jae-in, who appointed Cho.

An hour after Cho announced his resignation, South Korean President Moon Jae-in publicly apologized to the people. "I'm very sorry because Minister Cho's case has led to many conflicts in society," Moon said at the start of his weekly meeting with senior Blue House aides.

However, the South Korean President said that this was an opportunity to raise public awareness about the urgent need of prosecution and pledged to continue the "to the end" campaign, despite giving resignation.

Cho, 54, is a professor at Seoul National University, a Korean human rights activist and politician. Half a month after he took office, Seoul Central Prosecutor's Office sent investigators to visit Cho's home. This is the first time a current South Korean Justice Minister has been searched.

Prosecutors have been collecting documents, hard drives and evidence in connection with accusing Minister Cho of using the relationship to bring his daughter to one of the prestigious private schools in South Korea. The documents could also help uncover suspicious investments in a family member's fund when Cho was the senior secretary in charge of the Korean president's domestic affairs.

The fund poured most of the Cho family's money into Wealth C&T, a light switch company, two months after Cho began working at the Presidential Palace of Korea in 2017. The company's sales increased. skyrocketed after being funded by the Cho family fund and receiving a series of orders from the Korean government.

Denying all allegations, pledging not to intervene and ordering prosecutors to conduct the investigation in a fair and rigorous manner.

The Central District Prosecutor's Office in Seoul on October 3 summoned Cho's wife for questioning over the fabricated claims of a university president's application for a daughter's medical school application. The prosecutor also plans to interrogate her over doubts surrounding the family's investment in a private equity fund.