"The person who was completely defeated and driven out"... Yuin-tae criticizes Choo Mi-ae, who announced her presidential bid

"Chu-Yoon Conflict Causes Significant Political Burden"
"High Ruling Party Approval Rate, Actually a Weakness for the Democratic Party"

Yoo In-tae, Former Secretary General of the National Assembly / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] Yoo In-tae, a senior pro-Roh (pro-Roh Moo-hyun) figure and former Secretary-General of the National Assembly, criticized former Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae, who announced her intention to run for president, saying, "Isn't she trying to shine more light on former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol?" Earlier, former Minister Chu claimed, "Since I announced my presidential bid, former Prosecutor General Yoon's approval rating has been falling."

On the 25th, Yoo appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' and said about former Minister Chu, "Last year, when the Chu-Yoon conflict was at its peak, it was talked about so much that it's a bit much to talk about it anymore," but he also harshly criticized her, saying, "She caused such a political burden with the Chu-Yoon conflict and was almost completely defeated, effectively driven out. She should be reflecting and keeping a low profile, so I can't understand her running for president as common sense."

When asked if this was Yoo's personal opinion, he replied, "People with common sense would all see it that way," adding, "There are quite a few even within the Democratic Party."

Regarding the evaluation that former Minister Chu is highly favored among ruling party supporters, he drew a line, saying, "That's as far as it goes."

Yoo pointed out, "The fact that such support emerges among ruling party supporters itself is a significant problem and vulnerability that the Democratic Party faces."

Former Minister Chu officially declared her presidential bid at a press conference held on the 23rd in Heyri, Paju, Gyeonggi Province, stating, "The Democratic Party must return to the spirit of the candlelight protests."

Former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae is giving a speech declaring her candidacy for the 20th presidential election at a studio in Heyri, Paju, Gyeonggi Province on the 23rd. / Photo by Yonhap News

On that day, former Minister Chu emphasized, "We must create a world that values people and a country that elevates people," adding, "If we cannot break structural inequality and unfairness, the 20th-century advanced country model we have pursued cannot resolve polarization and inequality."

Former Minister Chu has also continued to criticize former Prosecutor General Yoon, a leading opposition presidential candidate. In a radio interview on the 17th, she said, "There is no one who knows Yoon Seok-yeol better than I do," and described herself as "a hawk that catches pheasants."

In an interview with YTN Radio's 'Lee Dong-hyung's News Face-off' on the afternoon of the 24th, she stated, "Since I officially declared my presidential bid, my approval rating is rising while former Prosecutor General Yoon's is falling," and claimed, "(Yoon) is a problematic Prosecutor General with significant issues in his job experience."

However, skepticism toward former Minister Chu has emerged within some ruling party circles.

On the 23rd, Democratic Party lawmaker Seol Hoon expressed concerns on CBS Radio's 'Kim Jong-dae's News Up,' saying, "(Former Minister Chu) says she wants to be a hawk that catches pheasants, but I don't know what kind of hawk she wants to be," and added, "Isn't she raising pheasants while trying to catch them?" expressing unease.

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