Lee Jun-seok "Choo Mi-ae, Not Even a First-Term Lawmaker... Must Have Known the Mic Was On"

Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae is attending the plenary session of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee on the 21st, talking with Minister of National Defense Suh Wook. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Seul-gi] On the 23rd, Lee Jun-seok, former Supreme Council Member of the People Power Party, pointed out that Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae could not have been unaware that the microphone was on when she targeted an opposition lawmaker with a background as a prosecutor and said, "This is absurd," during the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee plenary session.

On the same day, Lee, in an interview with CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' said, "Minister Choo probably was well aware of the characteristics of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee."

He added, "Democratic Party lawmaker Yoon Young-chan recently faced difficulties after his phone conversations were exposed. Even if Yoon has extensive social experience, as a first-term lawmaker, he wouldn't understand the saying 'the pot is hot' until he touches it himself. Similarly, Minister Choo, with her five-term experience, must have naturally learned how to conduct herself during plenary sessions or committee inquiries."

He continued, "Ultimately, it's about 'experience' and 'sense.' She would roughly know, 'I shouldn't have private conversations around this time,' and would be aware of proper conduct within the plenary hall and during committee inquiries."

Earlier, on the 21st, Minister Choo criticized Lawmaker Kim during the Legislation and Judiciary Committee plenary session when Kim raised additional suspicions regarding the request for a translation soldier position for Minister Choo's son, Seo Mo (27), during the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. She said to Defense Minister Seo Wook, who was sitting beside her, "This is absurd. It's really good that this person chose to be a lawmaker instead of a prosecutor."

Minister Choo continued, "It seems like they will catch several innocent people," reiterating her criticism. When Lawmaker Kim protested, she apologized, saying, "I regret this for the smooth progress of the meeting."

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