"These are biting (domestic)," said nephew Jo Mo, the 5th uncle of the former Attorney General's Minister of Justice.

Mr. Cho answered the lawyer's question, "There are many stories of escaping abroad in the early days of the investigation," in a defendant newspaper held at the Seoul Central District Court's 24th Criminal Agreement (Deputy Justice So Byeong-seok) hearing today.

"The incident overlapped with the planned itinerary," said Mr. Cho. "Is it true that I went out two days earlier and arrived four or three days later?

He also explained, "The reason I returned home after being searched for confiscation was that it wasn't until then that I started looking for a lawyer and it took me a while to talk."

Cho left the country abroad in late August last year, when suspicions related to Cho's family were raised, and then returned home on September 14 and was arrested at Incheon International Airport.

When the lawyer asked, "Did you already know that you would be arrested when you return," he replied, "I came in with this bite. I had a lot of bad things and wanted to explain."

"When I was first investigated, I was very unhappy," said Cho. "After a little while, I also admitted my sins and repented. I am not unfair now."

(Photo = Yonhap News)