Son Hye-won: "Joo Jin-woo's Explanation Is an Excuse, Like Acting"

Former Open Democratic Party lawmaker Sohn Hye-won. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Former Open Democratic Party lawmaker Son Hyewon expressed doubt about the sincerity of former SisaIN journalist Joo Jinwoo, a former member of 'I Am a Trickster (Naggomsu)', who was accused of 'taking the side of Prosecutor General Yoon Seokyeol,' saying his explanation "sounds more like an excuse than a clarification."

On the 6th, Son shared Joo's YouTube explanation video posted the same day on her Facebook, saying, "It would have been better to just let it go without any response," and added, "The acting is more apparent than the sincerity."

Joo has recently been criticized by the pro-Moon Jae-in camp, including Kim Yongmin, chairman of Peace Tree, who co-hosted Naggomsu with him, for siding with Prosecutor General Yoon amid the conflict between Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae and Prosecutor General Yoon.

In the video, Joo addressed the allegations publicly raised by Chairman Kim. First, regarding the suspicion that he introduced former Democratic Research Institute Director Yang Jeongcheol to Prosecutor General Yoon and made him swear loyalty, Joo denied it, saying, "There was no such occasion. I never introduced the two."

Regarding the allegation that he opposed and confronted Minister Choo by visiting her to oppose the exercise of investigative command authority, he dismissed it as "a clear falsehood," saying, "What would I have said to the minister?"

He continued, "In early July, I met with about ten people at a location in Gyeonggi Province to talk about matters unrelated to the minister's duties," and denied the timing of the meeting, saying, "That meeting was definitely before the exercise of investigative command authority. There is no reason for such talk to arise."

He said, "I understand your disappointment. I have many immature and lacking points. I will definitely improve on those," and confessed, "To be clear, I actively support prosecutorial reform. (Prosecutorial reform) is something we must achieve. I have emphasized this dozens, even hundreds of times."

Finally, Joo added, "Yongmin, pick up the phone." It appears he was trying to explain the related facts to Chairman Kim but claimed that Kim avoided him instead.

However, later, Chairman Kim refuted on his Facebook, saying, "It seems that Joo Jinwoo told me to 'answer the phone,' but since I posted the public inquiry last time, there has been no record of any phone calls."

He added, "Even with this response, I still do not believe that he has severed ties with the Yoon Seokyeol group. I look forward to the day when I can once again confirm Joo Jinwoo's sincerity toward the truth."

Earlier, on the 3rd, Chairman Kim said, "There have been many reasons to doubt whether Joo Jinwoo is truly on the same side when looking at his actions and statements," and added, "I painfully concluded that it is reasonable to see Joo Jinwoo as part of the 'Yoon Seokyeol family.'"

Chairman Kim then posed four questions to Joo: △Why he attended the meeting between former Democratic Research Institute Director Yang Jeongcheol and Prosecutor General Yoon △Why he represented Prosecutor Han Donghoon’s position in the 'media-prosecution collusion' allegations △Why he said the exercise of investigative command authority by Minister Choo was unjust △Why he tried to block reports on the meeting between JoongAng Ilbo Chairman Hong Seokhyun and Prosecutor General Yoon.

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