Star tutor Jo Jeong-sik [Newsis]
Star tutor Jo Jeong-sik [Newsis]

Jo Jeong-sik, a celebrity private tutor standing trial on charges of trading exam questions, has weighed in on the ballot shortage that marred the June 3 local elections.

On Saturday, Jo posted on his Instagram, referencing South Korea's victory over the Czech Republic in the opening group-stage match of the World Cup, and wrote: "Even in a moment like this, when national pride is swelling, I hope we don't forget that the very foundations of the democracy we never doubted were shaken not long ago — and that there are still things we should be angry about."

He added that the issue was "not a matter of conservative or progressive, not a question of left or right," but rather "a story about the democratic values we must protect — about the minimum conscience we owe to the next generation."

Although Jo did not name the incident explicitly, his remarks appeared to reference the ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections. Investigations so far have confirmed that 7,194 ballots were missing across 91 polling stations nationwide. The shortage has fueled protests centered on the Jamsil area, led largely by voters in their 20s and 30s, which have continued for more than 10 days. Some conservative voices have called for a re-election.

Jo rose to public prominence beyond the tutoring world through television appearances, including on Channel A's "Please Improve My Grades: Teachers 2."

He came under scrutiny, however, after his mock exam booklet — published two months before the 2023 College Scholastic Ability Test — contained a passage identical to question No. 23 on the English section of the actual exam. The match raised allegations that he had obtained test questions in advance.

A police investigation led to his indictment on charges of receiving questions from active teachers and paying approximately 80 million won ($52,600) in exchange. At his first trial hearing in April, he denied all charges.

His legal team argued in court that the transactions "constituted legitimate commerce conducted at market rates" and denied any wrongdoing.


paq@heraldcorp.com