Former Vice President Cho Hyun-moon's side said that Hyosung Group Chairman Cho Hyun-joon's testimony in the recent attempted extortion trial was "mostly false," calling it a "retaliatory complaint to conceal his own illegal acts and wrongdoing."
On the 25th, Cho's side issued a statement, saying it "expresses deep regret that, taking advantage of the status of a chaebol chairman, he poured out testimony and emotional slander about his younger brother that were contrary to the facts and even distributed a press release," and stated accordingly. It added, "We have already submitted evidence to prove the testimony is clearly false," and said it would reveal this during cross-examination scheduled for the 28th.
On the 21st, Judge Lee Seong-yeol of the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 25 held a hearing on charges including attempted extortion against former Vice President Cho and former News Communications CEO Park Su-hwan, and questioned Chairman Cho as a witness. At the time, Chairman Cho testified to the effect that "Father said, 'There is no way other than this to make Hyun-moon repent. I hope he would reflect, even if it has to be done this way,'" and he also expressed his intent to seek punishment for his younger brother.
In response, Cho's side argued that this "runs counter to the late father's will, which asked that the brothers live in harmony," and countered, "A false complaint must not be packaged as if it were the 'late father's injunction.'" At a 2024 press conference, former Vice President Cho also said he wanted to end the conflict between the brothers and reconcile, in keeping with their late father's wishes.
Cho's side also claimed that at a one-on-one meeting with him at the JW Marriott Hotel in June 2012, Chairman Cho acknowledged illegal acts and wrongdoing and promised to correct them. It said that although the conversation was recorded at the time and submitted to the court as evidence, Chairman Cho answered in court on the 21st to the effect that he "does not remember" and "does not know" whether the voice was his.
Cho's side also denied all of Chairman Cho's claims about "stock snatching," verbal abuse of their parents, and coercion to establish a public-interest foundation. It said, "He merely reclaimed his own shares to which he had legal ownership," and added there was no verbal abuse or threats against the parents. Regarding the foundation, it said Chairman Cho voluntarily signed the consent form and stated it would disclose it if necessary.
Since the first hearing in 2023, former Vice President Cho has denied the attempted extortion charge, arguing there were no threats and that the statute of limitations has expired. With Chairman Cho appearing as a witness on the 21st, the conflict between the two brothers returned to the courtroom for the first time since the so-called "Hyosung brothers' feud" in 2014.