Yoon: "A Minister Who Quit Due to Overwork"... Choo Mi-ae: "I Don't Care What Yoon Says"

The Democratic Party presidential primary candidates held a pledge ceremony for fair elections and a press day on the 1st at the Glad Hotel Grand Ballroom in Yeouido, Seoul. Candidate Chu Mi-ae is answering questions from the press. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Choyoung] Former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae stated on the 1st that she "does not care at all" about former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's evaluation of her as "someone who repeatedly engaged in unreasonable actions and even quit the position of Minister of Justice halfway through."

Former Minister Choo made this remark during a meeting with reporters after a press day event held at a hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, in response to a question about her thoughts on former Prosecutor General Yoon's comments.

She criticized, "The Prosecutor General abandoned his duty to regard political neutrality as vital and directly pursued the presidency. In fact, it was almost like deceiving the court. He claimed that his suspension from duty was wrongful and expressed a stance as if he had no intention of entering politics. Although he obtained a provisional injunction from the court, he immediately participated in politics."

She continued, "Even before officially announcing his candidacy, I observed that he occasionally made political remarks, which made me think he himself was dishonest and contradictory. He brought a challenge against the constitution and the rule of law, putting democracy at risk and issuing threats," she asserted.

Regarding the recent controversy surrounding former Prosecutor General Yoon's spouse, Kim Gun-hee, she said, "It is now the media's turn to verify that issue," adding, "Yesterday, when asked if I knew 'Julie,' I answered that I had heard something, but I do not have any specific details," she added.

On the 1st, candidate Chu Mi-ae attended the pledge ceremony for fair election practices and the press day at the Glad Hotel Grand Ballroom in Yeouido, Seoul, responding to questions from the press. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, former Minister Choo appeared on YTN Radio's "Hwang Bo-seon's Start of a New Morning" the previous day and responded "I have heard about it" to a question asking whether the X-file alleging that former Prosecutor General Yoon's wife was an entertainment establishment hostess named 'Julie' would be problematic. She added, "It is difficult to disclose everything on air. First of all, a presidential candidate must be clean not only personally but also in terms of family, relatives, and friends."

Regarding this statement, Kang Min-jin, leader of the Youth Justice Party, criticized on the same day, saying, "Raising sexual allegations about a woman's past when attacking her is an outdated and typical method."

In response, former Minister Choo said, "Seeing a particular party excessively commenting on me based on that statement and attacking me with words I did not say seemed excessive. Such things obscure the essence," emphasizing, "Fair verification is necessary, as the media has done with every candidate in history."

She added, "It is not an attack because she is a woman," and countered, "Regarding presidential candidates, under the Anti-Graft Act, everyone without exception must disclose information. Viewing this as opposition party candidate suppression or illegal surveillance is not appropriate."

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