Choo Mi-ae "(Presidential Bid Declaration) Will Align with Party Schedule... A Hawk Catching a Pheasant"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] Former Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae has effectively announced her intention to run for president. She positioned herself as the ideal candidate to defeat former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, saying, "A hawk that catches a pheasant is feared."

On the 17th, former Minister Chu appeared on YTN Radio's 'Hwang Bo-seon's Start of the Morning' and, when asked about the timing of her presidential candidacy announcement, said, "Since I belong to the (Democratic) Party, I will follow the party's schedule, and I guess the party is probably hurrying as well."

Regarding a listener's message saying, "Minister Chu, please stand tall as a presidential candidate. I will dedicate myself as a volunteer," she replied, "Thank you. Thank you very much."

Within the Democratic Party, there are calls to postpone the primary, but it is highly likely that the registration for presidential preliminary candidates will proceed as scheduled around the 23rd to 25th. Former Minister Chu is expected to announce her candidacy once the schedule is finalized.

Former Minister Chu said, "I am the person who knows Yoon Seok-yeol best; I was his supervisor," adding, "Yoon is now lurking around the presidential race without entering the verification net. He has appointed a spokesperson, so-called a former journalist from Chosun and Dong-A, and a secretary from JoongAng Ilbo, so since he is a candidate supported by Cho-Joong-Dong, isn't it true that proper verification is not happening?"

She emphasized, "No one knows Yoon better than I do, so I am the hawk that catches the pheasant. No matter how much he tries to avoid media scrutiny by relying on the fortress of Cho-Joong-Dong, it is only a matter of time."

She also criticized former Prosecutor General Yoon, saying, "I wonder if he can run the full course in the main election stage or if he will step down too soon," and added, "I think the main opposition party should properly nurture its candidate."

Regarding the investigation of former Prosecutor General Yoon by the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit, she said, "The abuse of prosecutorial power by Yoon Seok-yeol's special investigation team is not just one or two cases," and stated, "Now that he has become a presidential candidate, if the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) refuses to look into the cases, is that fairness and justice? It is not. The CIO should follow its own path without political interference, and the political sphere should watch closely; that is the spirit of the constitution."

Former Minister Chu plans to release a collection of interviews soon. She said, "Regardless of the presidential schedule, I want to talk about the process and purpose since I led the prosecution reform and it remains unfinished," adding, "People keep calling it the Chu-Yoon conflict, but what lies beneath that? What is the truth? There are many things about that truth."

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