Park Seongmin "Youth Uncomfortable Even with Suspicion"
Joo Ho-young Launches Fierce Attack: "Arrogance, Sophistry, Sharp Tongue"
Expansion of Frontlines Expected up to National Assembly Audit
[Asia Economy Reporters Lim Chun-han and Jeon Jin-young] The first regular National Assembly session of the 21st National Assembly, focusing on government questioning, was dominated from start to finish by issues surrounding Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae. Although the government questioning has concluded, the political sphere is expected to continue experiencing the "Choo Mi-ae political situation" for the time being.
On the 18th, Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, said at a party strategy meeting held at the National Assembly, "Minister Choo's attitude during the government questioning was an episode of arrogance and sophistry that was unbearable to watch," adding, "We cannot accept the investigation results of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office. If Minister Choo is confident of her innocence, she should immediately request a special prosecutor or a parliamentary special investigation to clarify the matter." On the same day, Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party, stated at the Supreme Council meeting, "It has become clear that the opposition party's baseless allegations and political attacks like exaggeration will no longer gain public approval," and added, "The lesson we have learned is that while the facts must be clearly established, excessive responses should be restrained."
Within the Democratic Party, calls for self-reflection have been emerging regarding the verbal misconduct that occurred during the defense of Minister Choo. Park Sung-min, a 24-year-old university student and Democratic Party Supreme Council member, said in a phone interview with Asia Economy, "Military service is a sensitive issue in South Korea. From the perspective of young people, even raising suspicions alone was undoubtedly uncomfortable," adding, "That is why the party is making efforts to clarify the facts more clearly. However, I believe much has been explained." Former Democratic Party lawmaker Kang Chang-il criticized the party's statement comparing Minister Choo's son to independence activist Ahn Jung-geun on CBS Radio the previous day, saying, "Is every person who served in the South Korean military Ahn Jung-geun? That was an overstatement."
Although calls for restraint are gradually emerging within the party, Democratic Party lawmakers still find it difficult to express their honest opinions openly, as they cannot ignore criticism from hardline supporters. On the 16th, Democratic Party lawmaker Park Yong-jin issued an apology for the first time, saying, "Education and military service are sensitive issues for the public," but was heavily criticized by supporters as engaging in "betrayal." On the 14th, Democratic Party lawmaker Cho Eung-chun was also criticized for remarks in a media interview suggesting that Minister Choo's provocative statements worsened the problem.
The disputes surrounding Minister Choo are likely to continue into the upcoming National Assembly audit scheduled for early next month. While opposition attacks persist, the Democratic Party and Minister Choo are dismissing all suspicions, urging patience for the prosecution's investigation results. Regardless of the prosecution's conclusion, the controversy is unlikely to end. If the investigation results come out as the Democratic Party and Minister Choo claim, the "opposition party responsibility theory" will inevitably arise. On the other hand, the People Power Party will naturally not accept the results as they are. The opposition is already raising concerns about the objectivity and fairness of the prosecution's investigation and is calling for the appointment of a special prosecutor. Conversely, if the investigation results align with the People Power Party's expectations, the opposition's offensive is expected to intensify, leading to calls for Minister Choo's resignation.
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