Choo Mi-ae Faces Controversies Similar to Cho Kuk but Handles Them Completely Differently

Instead of Active Clarification, Playing Dumb... No Response from the Ministry of Justice Either

Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae is arriving at the Government Complex Gwacheon on the 10th. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporters Seokjin Choi and Seongpil Jo] Although suspicions have been continuously raised that Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae was involved in her son Seo Mo’s (27) ‘failure to return from leave,’ both Minister Choo and the Ministry of Justice have consistently remained silent without any response.

While the controversy resembles that of former Minister Cho Kuk in terms of allegations of preferential treatment for children, the way of handling the situation is completely different.

On the 10th, a Ministry of Justice official stated, “Since the case is currently under investigation, the Ministry of Justice will not issue any separate statements or responses.”

This stance appears to consider the possibility that if the Ministry directly clarifies the suspicions surrounding the minister, another wave of criticism could arise claiming that public organizations were mobilized.

Minister Choo herself has also maintained silence. Compared to her previous precedent of detailing her position through the Ministry’s official channels or her Facebook on every issue, the current response is unusual.

The day before, Minister Choo was caught on camera by media outlets leaving through the back door of the government building, and a Ministry official explained, “It seems she did so because reporters were camped out in front of the main entrance.”

On the morning of the same day, Minister Choo entered the building without responding at all to reporters’ questions on her way to work.

This situation could be interpreted as evidence that it is ‘difficult to refute’ the fact that Minister Choo herself or her aides filed complaints with the military regarding Seo’s leave extension, as testimonies and records proving this have emerged.

Meanwhile, with the ruling party’s questioning session scheduled at the National Assembly from the 14th to the 17th, where the opposition party is expected to launch a concentrated attack on these suspicions, it appears that Minister Choo and the Ministry of Justice are putting all their efforts into preparing responses to the various allegations.

The allegations of preferential treatment involving Minister Choo’s child bear many similarities to former Minister Cho Kuk’s ‘child admission fraud’ allegations last year.

However, it contrasts with former Minister Cho Kuk’s active efforts to clarify the facts in response to a series of reports and allegations.

Meanwhile, amid growing pressure from the opposition for Minister Choo’s resignation, two petitions for her impeachment and dismissal, posted on the Blue House’s public petition board in July, each garnered over 200,000 signatures, but the Blue House has yet to issue any response regarding these.

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