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Cho Hyun-joon, Chairman of Hyosung Group (Photo courtesy of Yonhap News ) |
[Alpha Biz= Ellie Kim] A scheduled court confrontation between Cho Hyun-joon, chairman of Hyosung Group, and his younger brother Cho Hyun-moon has been postponed to August in connection with an attempted coercion case stemming from the family dispute known as the “brothers’ feud,” according to an exclusive report by Kukmin Ilbo.
Citing legal sources, Kukmin Ilbo reported on April 21 that Cho Hyun-joon submitted a written request to the Seoul Central District Court ahead of a hearing held on April 17, asking for his witness examination to be rescheduled to late August or after October. The case is being heard by Judge Lee Sung-yeol of the court’s Criminal Division 25.
Cho did not attend the hearing, with his legal team explaining that he was unable to appear on April 17 and 24 due to his participation in President Lee Jae-myung’s economic delegation during official visits to India and Vietnam. They added that continued overseas business trips through July would make attendance difficult in the near term.
His legal representatives also asked the court to take into account rapidly changing business conditions—including geopolitical tensions such as the Iran conflict, as well as fluctuations in exchange rates and oil prices—while scheduling the witness examination, noting that Cho is currently managing the group under time-sensitive circumstances.
Cho’s side further requested that the originally planned two-day witness examination be reduced to one day, arguing that he has already undergone multiple rounds of prosecution questioning and testified in related proceedings. In response, Cho Hyun-moon’s defense team said that, given the extensive background of the case—including the family dispute—they would need sufficient time to question the witness in detail.
The court ultimately decided to summon Cho Hyun-joon for hearings on August 21 and 28.
The case dates back to 2014, when Cho Hyun-moon filed a complaint against his elder brother over alleged embezzlement and breach of trust, triggering the high-profile family dispute. In 2017, Cho Hyun-joon countersued his brother on charges including attempted extortion. Prosecutors later indicted Cho Hyun-moon in 2022, alleging that he conspired with Park Soo-hwan, former head of News Communications, to threaten Cho Hyun-joon.
The court designated Cho Hyun-joon as a key witness in January after a major witness, Song Hee-young, former editorial writer at Chosun Ilbo, denied parts of the alleged coercion described in the indictment.
Alphabiz Ellie Kim 인턴기자(press@alphabiz.co.kr)
