Hwang Hee Targets Whistleblower in 'Choo Mi-ae Son Allegations'... Geum Tae-seop Also Joins Criticism

Hwang Hee, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] On the 12th, as Rep. Hwang Hee of the Democratic Party of Korea targeted the military service privilege allegations involving the son of Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae, initially raised by a duty soldier, criticism poured in from both inside and outside the party. Former party colleague Rep. Geum Tae-seop also joined in criticizing Rep. Hwang.

Rep. Geum wrote on Facebook, "To call a 20-something citizen, who is one of the people, a 'sole perpetrator' just because they claim facts unfavorable to the Minister of Justice?is he sane? Is he saying the citizen is a criminal?" he criticized Rep. Hwang.

He pointed out, "Regardless of party affiliation, ruling or opposition, progressive or conservative, a member of the National Assembly is a representative of the people," and added, "For any reason, one should not criticize the people they represent."

Former Rep. Geum also said, "It hasn't been long since we vowed to uphold the spirit of the Candlelight Movement, but listening to the recent National Assembly members rushing to make remarks here and there, I can't believe my eyes and ears," and expressed, "My heart feels unbearably heavy all day."

The opposition party, People Power Party, is also strongly criticizing Rep. Hwang.

Spokesperson Kim Eun-hye verbally commented, "Where does the audacity come from to put a 27-year-old young man's name on a public trial just because he is not on their side?" she rebuked.

Rep. Park Dae-chul criticized on Facebook, "Someone disclosed the real name of the young KATUSA reservist whistleblower," adding, "This clearly violates the Whistleblower Protection Act. The crime must be thoroughly investigated."

Former Dongyang University professor Jin Joong-kwon also pointed out about Rep. Hwang, "He basically gave coordinates to the Moon faction, which is a very bad offense," and said, "This is violence inflicted by a lawmaker on a powerless individual. These people have completely lost their minds."

Earlier, Rep. Hwang wrote on Facebook, "A thorough investigation of the initial trigger, the duty soldier, is necessary," and said, "A reckless child's fire play in the mountains burned down the entire mountain." He added, "Judging by the behavior, it is impossible to see him as the sole perpetrator," and urged, "A thorough investigation of the duty soldier is needed, and the accomplice forces must also be thoroughly identified."

Rep. Hwang initially disclosed the full name of the duty soldier but, as the controversy grew, he edited the post to remove the given name, leaving only the surname.

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