"Weekend Couple..." Gwak Sang-do on 'Choo's Explanation': "Can't Tell What's a Privilege"

Choo Mi-ae in Government Questioning: "As a Weekend Couple, Not in a Position to Ask..."

Kwak Sang-do, member of the People Power Party. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] Regarding the suspicion that Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae filed a complaint with the Ministry of National Defense to extend the military leave of her son Seo Mo (27), Member of the People Power Party Kwak Sang-do criticized her statement that she did not make any phone calls and, being a "weekend couple," was not in a position to ask her husband.

On the 15th, Kwak posted on his Facebook, saying, "She responded like a common street thug rather than a high-ranking official, mocking the people," and pointed out, "If the Minister of Justice appears in the National Assembly to answer, shouldn't she gather the facts from her husband, son, aides, and others around her and report the whole story to the people?"

Kwak sharply criticized, "Just making excuses to the public that she had no time to talk with her husband and son is already enough reason for her to resign as minister," and urged her resignation, saying, "Moreover, if she has to hide behind investigations like a street thug, she should quit the ministerial post and wait for the investigation results."

He continued, "When Minister Choo was the leader of the ruling party, she mobilized numerous public officials on a case-by-case basis, unlike ordinary citizens, to resolve personal issues such as her son's military service requests," and claimed, "She enjoys such privileges frequently and at any time, so she does not even realize that these are special favors."

Finally, Kwak criticized, "A Minister of Justice like Cho Kuk or Choo Mi-ae, who performs their duties while being investigated or under investigation and waits for the investigation results of prosecutors under their command, isn't that embarrassing both to the prosecutors and the people?"

Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae arrived and is moving to attend the Cabinet meeting held at the Government Seoul Office on the morning of the 15th. Photo by Yonhap News

Earlier, on the 14th, Minister Choo Mi-ae fully denied the suspicion of preferential treatment regarding her son Seo's sick leave during a government question session at the National Assembly, saying, "Unless I deliberately took him out of the military, but as a mother who put him into the military, I do not use sick leave to employ any irregular methods."

Regarding the suspicion that Minister Choo and her husband inquired at the Ministry of National Defense's complaint office to extend their son's leave, she explained, "I have never called the Ministry of National Defense's complaint office," and when asked, "Did your husband call directly instead of you?" she said, "I am not in a position to ask my husband. We are a weekend couple."

Also, regarding the suspicion that an aide called the military unit to extend her son's leave during her time as the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, she responded, "I never ordered anyone to make a call. (Whether a call was made) I do not know."