Choo Mi-ae "I Will Not Yield" vs Jo Eung-cheon "A Humble Attitude Is Needed"

Yeo Joong-cheon "Choo Mi-ae's Harsh Remarks, a Sight Never Experienced Before"
Choo Mi-ae "Frustration Over Attempts to Undermine Command... I Will Not Be Broken"

Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae is briefly lost in thought during the Wise Lawmaker Life event hosted by the Democratic Research Institute at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 25th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] On the 29th, Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae addressed the criticism from some media and political circles regarding her remarks targeting Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, saying, "There are times when I am taken aback by attempts to undermine my command at every turn. Sometimes, I even feel frustrated," adding, "But I will not be broken."

Earlier, on the 28th, Cho Eung-cheon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized Minister Choo's remarks, calling them "an unfamiliar sight never before experienced, so bewildering that it left me speechless."

With Minister Choo's rebuttal coming just a day after Cho's public criticism, attention is focused on whether voices opposing this will emerge again in the political arena.

In a post on her Facebook page that morning, Minister Choo emphasized the necessity of prosecutorial reform, stating, "Unchecked power is like a runaway locomotive. That runaway inevitably results in harm to the people. This is why the civilian government emphasizes democratic control and prosecutorial reform."

Minister Choo has previously criticized the prosecution continuously. In early February, during the initial phase of the COVID-19 outbreak, she pointed out that the prosecution did not follow her directive to "respond strongly with forced investigations such as raids."

She said, "I emphasized the urgency of quarantine and tracing infection routes and issued general instructions for active raids. However, the prosecution ignored my orders and twice rejected warrants requested by the police at that critical moment," adding, "As a result, timely raids were not conducted, making it difficult to recover data through CCTV."

On the 25th, at a lecture hosted by the Democratic Research Institute, the think tank of the Democratic Party of Korea, during a forum for first-term lawmakers, she criticized Prosecutor General Yoon regarding the 'alleged perjury coaching case of the investigation team for former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook,' saying he "cut off half of my instructions."

Cho Eung-cheon, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker.
Photo by Yonhap News

In response to Minister Choo's remarks, Cho criticized on his Facebook the day before, stating, "A humble attitude from Minister Choo is necessary for prosecutorial reform and the launch of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO)."

He added, "Before Minister Choo's appointment, 66 Ministers of Justice refrained from exercising command authority and consulted the Prosecutor General's opinions when recommending prosecutor assignments. Of course, political behavior during the authoritarian era was very different from now, and even afterward, there were many cases of symbiosis and abuse between the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution," emphasizing, "Past ministers also restrained their remarks out of consideration for laws and the political neutrality of the prosecution."

Cho particularly pointed out, "The more Minister Choo insists on the necessity of prosecutorial reform and the prompt launch of the CIO through harsh language, the more the debate may focus on the appropriateness of her remarks."

He continued, "I cannot help but ask whether it is timely for Minister Choo to harshly criticize the Prosecutor General day after day and receive the spotlight," adding, "Regardless of the original intention or conviction, if harsh remarks are repeated, it may become a burden not only for the government and ruling party but also for the appointing authority." He concluded by saying, "I ask her to take a moment to catch her breath and reflect."

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