Choo Mi-ae Throws a Straight Ball at Lee Nak-yeon, "Score is Zero as Party Leader"

"Stability Recognized During Prime Minister Tenure, Zero Points as Party Leader... All Party Members Leaving"

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] On the 14th, Choo Mi-ae, former Minister of Justice and a presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, directly criticized her competitor, former party leader Lee Nak-yeon, saying, "I evaluate and acknowledge that he carried out his duties with great stability during his tenure as Prime Minister," but added, "However, if I were to give him a score as party leader, it would be a zero (0)."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In an interview with the media on the same day, former Minister Choo pointed out, "During my tenure as party leader, there were over 700,000 registered party members, and the number did not decrease even during former leader Lee Hae-chan's term," adding, "However, during former leader Lee Nak-yeon's term, the number declined. All the registered party members left."

She also criticized, "The Democratic Party's approval rating reached 55% for the first time in history during my time, but it plummeted during former leader Lee Nak-yeon's term."

Regarding the decisive reason why the support base turned away, she said, "In February, there was a plan to propose a bill to establish the Serious Crime Investigation Agency within the party, but it was just left to the Prosecution Reform Special Committee," and added, "The leader should have promised and pushed it forward with determination for the standing committee to function properly, but it was an evasion of responsibility."

Former Minister Choo criticized former leader Lee Nak-yeon, saying, "It requires great resolve and dedication, willing to get your hands dirty and endure criticism."

She also delivered a series of direct hits, saying, "Politics does not work with just elegant words," and "He failed when he had power, so how will he succeed in the future?"

Regarding the proposal to postpone the primary election, former Minister Choo said, "This is not about individual interests but about respecting the safety and lives of the people," and added, "If the party makes a decision in that regard, I have no objections."

On the issue of nationwide disaster relief funds, she said, "The domestic economy is currently dried up," and added, "Instead of wasting time and administrative resources selecting 20%, it is better to provide the funds immediately."

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