Controversy Over Promotional Video Featuring Choo Mi-ae and Kim Oh-soo Receiving New Year's Greetings from Juvenile Offenders Titled 'Mom Minister, Dad Vice Minister' (Comprehensive)

Seoul Juvenile Detention Center "Inmates Also Pleased by Minister's Encouragement Visit" Explanation

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] A video showing Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae and Deputy Minister of Justice Kim Oh-soo receiving New Year's bows and giving envelopes from juvenile detainees at Seoul Juvenile Detention Center has been posted online, sparking controversy.

According to legal circles on the 19th, the Ministry of Justice uploaded a video of Minister Choo and others visiting Seoul Juvenile Detention Center for encouragement on the morning of the 25th, Lunar New Year's Day, to its official YouTube and social media accounts on the 31st of last month. The video has spread widely across various online communities for over two weeks, causing delayed controversy.

In the video, Minister Choo and Deputy Minister Kim receive New Year's bows from the detainees and put hamburger coupons into envelopes, which has led to criticism that this is "excessive promotion."

The Ministry of Justice created the introduction of the video with subtitles referring to Minister Choo as "Mom Minister" and Deputy Minister Kim as "Dad Deputy Minister." Then, the video shows Minister Choo arriving at the juvenile detention center. Minister Choo said, "I think the juvenile detainees want to pay New Year's bows to their parents," adding, "(They) cannot go home, so I came with the thought of playing the role of a mother, and our Deputy Minister playing the role of a father, encouraging them to start the new year thinking of their parents in their hometown."

After arriving at a prepared space, Minister Choo and Deputy Minister Kim sat side by side on cushions and received New Year's bows from the detainees. They then gave envelopes containing hamburger exchange coupons to each detainee. Deputy Minister Kim said, "I'll tell you a secret. Whenever I shake hands and give something, that person always succeeds. Since I shook hands with you all and gave gifts today, you will all really do well."

Following this, Minister Choo and Deputy Minister Kim ate rice cake soup with the detainees in the cafeteria, gave a lecture, and concluded the official schedule for the day. At the end of the video, Minister Choo said in subtitles, "Before being a minister, I am also a mother," and added, "I will scold when necessary, teach when necessary, and send them back into a mother's embrace." Some netizens responded with critical comments, questioning, "Were the detainees asked for their consent before receiving bows?" and "Do the minister and deputy minister have empathy?"

As the controversy spread, the juvenile detention center issued an explanatory statement regarding the video. The center explained, "The students were generally cheerful during the minister's visit and encouragement on Lunar New Year's Day, and some students even wrote thank-you letters to the minister after the visit." This appears to clarify that the detainees' New Year's bows were not coerced.

They added, "We hope that people will watch over not only the juvenile detainees but also the education and treatment conducted at the juvenile detention center with warm eyes and interest. The staff at Seoul Juvenile Detention Center will also strive harder to help the juveniles grow into healthy members of society."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.