조국 曺國
Legal scholar, former Minister of Justice and politician
| Life | 1965 |
| Era | 현대 |
| Clan | 창녕 조씨 |
Life & career
Jo Guk (曺國, born 1965) is a legal scholar and politician of the Changnyeong Cho clan. Korean Wikipedia says he was born on 6 April 1965 in Busan (some sources give 1963). He graduated from Seoul National University's College of Law and earned a master's and a J.S.D. in law at the University of California, Berkeley; he taught law at Seoul National University from December 2001.
He served as Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs at the Blue House from May 2017 to July 2019 and as the 66th Minister of Justice from 9 September to 14 October 2019. He became leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party in March 2024 and a member of the 22nd National Assembly (proportional representation) in May that year, but lost his seat when the Supreme Court dismissed his appeal in a criminal case on 12 December 2024, making the lower court's judgment final. The final sentence in that case is two years' imprisonment.
Education and Academia
He graduated from Hyegwang High School in 1982, earned a bachelor's degree at the Seoul National University College of Law and then a master's and a J.S.D. at the University of California, Berkeley. He was appointed professor of law at Seoul National University in December 2001 and remained on the law school faculty until April 2024.
Public Office
He served as Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs in the Presidential Secretariat from 11 May 2017 to 26 July 2019. He took office as the 66th Minister of Justice on 9 September 2019 and served until 14 October that year.
Court Outcome (Final Rulings Only)
In February 2023 the court of first instance sentenced him to two years in prison and a 6 million won forfeiture; in February 2024 the appeals court dismissed his appeal; and on 12 December 2024 the Supreme Court dismissed his further appeal, making the lower court's judgment final. Korean Wikipedia lists the final guilty counts as including obstruction of business, use of falsified official documents, abuse of authority, violation of the Improper Solicitation Act, violation of the Public Service Ethics Act and inducement of evidence destruction. After the ruling became final he is recorded as being released under the Liberation Day special pardon of 2025. This entry is limited to final rulings and does not include unconfirmed claims or assessments.
Party Activity
He became the first leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party on 3 March 2024 and began his term as a member of the 22nd National Assembly (proportional representation) on 30 May that year, but lost the seat when the judgment became final on 12 December. Another politician of the same clan is Jo Hun-hyeon.