"Civil Group Files Complaint Against Chu for Using Political Funds for Daughter and Son"

Accused of Violating Political Funds Act and Fraud
Choo "No Facts of Legal Violations" Rebuttal

Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae is responding to questions from lawmakers at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee plenary session held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 21st. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] A civic group has filed a complaint with the prosecution against Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae for violating the Political Funds Act and fraud charges.

The civic group Acting Free Citizens held a press conference in front of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on the morning of the 22nd, stating, "Minister Choo used political funds for her daughter and son dozens of times," and argued, "If the funds were raised with the intention of using donations for purposes other than the legitimate ones and spent unrelated to political funds, it constitutes not only a violation of the Political Funds Act but also fraud." They submitted a complaint to the prosecution.

The group said, "Members of the National Assembly have the obligation to manage their accounts more transparently than anyone else and to use political funds appropriately in accordance with the designated purposes," urging, "We call for active and swift investigations to expose the criminal acts in detail and to impose severe punishment commensurate with the crimes if the charges are confirmed."

Earlier, the People Power Party raised suspicions of improper use of political funds, claiming that Minister Choo spent political funds at a restaurant operated by her daughter under the pretext of a press briefing and that she used political funds at a restaurant near the training camp on the day of her son Seo Mo (27)'s completion ceremony.

The People Power Party claimed that from November 2014 to August 2015, while Minister Choo was a member of the National Assembly, she used 2.5 million won in political funds 21 times at a restaurant run by her daughter under the pretext of press briefings and other events.

Additionally, the People Power Party alleged that Minister Choo's political fund card was used in Nonsan, Chungnam, on January 3, 2017, when she visited the 1st Artillery Brigade in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.

According to the Political Funds Act, donations cannot be used for household support or assistance purposes, and violating this can result in imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of up to 4 million won.

Meanwhile, regarding these allegations, Minister Choo strongly denied them during the National Assembly's government questioning on the 17th, saying, "Just because it's my daughter's place doesn't mean I can eat for free," and "There is no fact of violating the Political Funds Act."