Cho Jung-sik (42), a star English instructor from Mega Study, has been referred to the prosecution on charges of purchasing exam questions for the college entrance exam from current teachers for tens of millions of won. The production team of 'Teachers 2' suddenly changed the attendees the day before the interview, seemingly aware of the negative public sentiment.
On the 12th, the production team of Channel A's entertainment program 'Teachers 2' stated, "We sincerely apologize for informing you on such short notice about the change of attendees for the round interview scheduled for the 13th."
They added, "Originally, the round interview for 'Teachers 2' was to include two of our production team members and cast members Jeong Seung-je, Cho Jung-sik, and Yoon Hye-jung. However, after discussions, it was decided that only the two production team members would attend."
The investigative media Sherlock reported on the 10th that Cho Jung-sik was referred to the prosecution on charges of violating the Anti-Corruption Act and obstruction of business on the 17th of last month. This raised the possibility of changes to the interview schedule, but the production team had stated until that afternoon that they would proceed as planned.
What was the reason for the sudden change of attendees? The production team explained, "Due to recent reports regarding the incident involving Cho Jung-sik, we judged that there was a significant risk that this round interview would deviate from its original purpose, leading to this decision."
As Cho Jung-sik's status as a top instructor has been impacted by allegations of trading exam questions with current teachers, it seems they decided to avoid the interview becoming a discussion focused on Cho Jung-sik rather than the program itself.
The background that allowed Cho Jung-sik to establish himself as a top instructor includes a solid curriculum and excellent teaching skills, but it is evaluated that the 'targeted questions' played a decisive role. However, on the 10th, reports emerged that shook this foundation.
According to the reports, a current high school teacher, referred to as A, earned approximately 238 million won from question trading between 2018 and 2023, of which 58 million won was from transactions with Cho Jung-sik.
Additionally, it is known that Cho Jung-sik traded questions with 21 current teachers, including Teacher A, who have experience in writing EBS college entrance exam-related materials and producing questions for the nationwide academic assessment organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. According to the Board of Audit and Inspection, Cho Jung-sik has reportedly acknowledged the fact of the question trading.
According to the Ministry of Education's guidelines, trading exam questions for academy materials by current teachers is prohibited, and violations can lead to dismissal or termination.
As the prosecution has begun an investigation into the case, Cho Jung-sik's side claims 'no charges'.
Cho Jung-sik's legal representatives, lawyers Choi Bong-kyun and Jeong Seong-yeop (Law Firm Pyeongan), stated in an official position on the 11th, "The content related to Cho Jung-sik reported by a recent media outlet contains inaccuracies, and as a result, there has been serious damage to the instructor's reputation and social trust."
They also stated, "Cho Jung-sik and our legal team are confident that all charges referred to the prosecution are clearly 'not guilty' and that Cho Jung-sik has never directly paid 58 million won to the teacher involved in the case."
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
