[Reporter’s Notebook] Now It’s Time for Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae to Respond

Seokjin Choi, Head of the Legal Affairs Team

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] Suspicions surrounding the military service of Chu Mi-ae, Minister of Justice's son, Seo Mo, are intensifying.

Initially starting with allegations of Seo's 'failure to return from leave,' the suspicions have now expanded to claims of external pressure to have him selected as an interpreter for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics during his KATUSA service.

However, the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, which is in charge of the investigation, has yet to begin questioning Seo even after more than eight months since the investigation started, remaining at a standstill.

It cannot be denied that the reason this case has escalated to this extent lies with Minister Chu herself and the prosecution.

Minister Chu responded to opposition lawmakers' related inquiries in the National Assembly by saying, "You are writing fiction," and denied that her aide had ever called military officials.

Yet, when a recording of a certain captain, who was the support officer of the unit where Seo served, was revealed, she remained silent.

Moreover, when Yoo Sang-beom, a member of the People Power Party, pressed her on this fact in the National Assembly, she gave irrelevant answers unrelated to the questions, seemingly stalling for time in a clumsy manner.

If Minister Chu had not disclosed it, the public would not have known which unit Seo was serving in, and no one would believe that her aide acted on orders she never gave.

What is even more ridiculous is the prosecution's behavior. The investigation, which is not particularly complicated to anyone, has been dragged on for eight months by the prosecution.

During this process, there are allegations that after asking, "Can you prove it?" regarding the testimonies of military officials?who could be decisive in uncovering the truth about the aide's phone calls?the prosecution omitted these statements from the records.

When a witness provides clues to solving a case, it is the prosecution's responsibility to verify and prove the facts.

Unfortunately, the investigator who conducted the investigation in this manner was promoted to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, and the lead prosecutor was promoted to deputy chief prosecutor and transferred to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.

Recently, Kim Gwan-jung, the newly appointed chief of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, has requested that the two be reinstated to the investigation team.

Minister Chu and the ruling party are dismissing this case as resistance from anti-reform forces within the prosecution aimed at sabotaging 'prosecutorial reform.'

Of course, this may be a reasonable perspective. However, at least now is not the time for Minister Chu to take such a stance.

The prosecution must uncover the truth of the case through a proper investigation, and only when it is confirmed legally and morally that Minister Chu has not acted improperly should claims of 'slander' or 'fabrication' be made.

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