SEOUL: The Supreme Court of South Korea has upheld a two-year prison sentence for Cho Kuk, a minor opposition leader and former law professor, in a case involving academic fraud and interference in a government investigation. Cho, who leads the Rebuilding Korea Party, was found guilty of leveraging his influence for his children's academic benefits and obstructing an official probe into corruption. According to Yonhap News Agency, the court's decision mandates that Cho forfeit 6 million won (approximately $4,184 USD) in addition to serving his prison term. The ruling strips Cho, 59, of his parliamentary seat and bars him from running for presidential office for the next five years. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office has directed Cho to present himself by Friday for the implementation of the sentence, warning of forced custody should he not comply. Cho expressed his acceptance of the court's verdict shortly after it was announced. Cho's political career included tenure as a senior presidential sec retary for civil affairs from 2017 to 2019 under President Moon Jae-in. He briefly served as justice minister in 2019 before resigning amid the unfolding scandal. The charges against Cho, filed in December 2019, included fabricating documents to secure university admissions for his children and accepting a 6 million won scholarship for his daughter. Additional charges were brought against him for halting an inspection into bribery allegations involving a former vice mayor of Busan.