Former Justice Minister Cho Kuk and Former Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae's Past Remarks Reexamined
Kim Jong-in, the Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is speaking at the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 26th. Photo by Yonhap News.
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Seul-gi] On the 26th, the People Power Party recalled past remarks by President Moon Jae-in and Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae regarding the disciplinary request and suspension of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol.
On that day, the People Power Party displayed a past tweet by President Moon as the background in the emergency committee meeting room.
The tweet was written on September 13, 2013, when Moon, then an opposition lawmaker, commented on former Prosecutor General Chae Dong-wook’s resignation amid a 'child out of wedlock controversy' during the Park Geun-hye administration, stating, "In the end... finally... they are tying it up ruthlessly. It’s frightening."
On the same day, the People Power Party also recalled a tweet by former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, then a Seoul National University professor, when Prosecutor General Yoon (then head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office Special Investigation Team), who was investigating the 'National Intelligence Service online comment manipulation case' under former Prosecutor General Chae, was demoted to head of the Yeoju branch.
Former Minister Cho wrote, "They cut off prosecutors who conduct proper investigations no matter what. Now I understand what they fear."
The People Power Party also posted past social network service (SNS) posts by President Moon and former Minister Cho on their official Facebook account that day, mocking President Moon as a 'silence expert' and former Minister Cho as a 'prophecy expert.'
They commented that the remarks by President Moon and former Minister Cho, who were outraged by the 'Chae Dong-wook ousting' and 'Yoon Seok-yeol ousting' at the time, have come back to them exactly seven years later.
Additionally, during the emergency committee meeting, a video showing President Moon encouraging Prosecutor General Yoon in July last year by saying, "Our Prosecutor General Yoon does not pay attention to power..." was also shown.
Borrowing President Moon’s words, it can be interpreted that Minister Choo is ousting Prosecutor General Yoon, who 'does not pay attention to power,' using power.
Former Dongyang University professor Jin Joong-kwon shared a video of Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae from seven years ago on Facebook on the 26th, criticizing, "People in this administration seem to be a different species, not Homo sapiens." Photo by Jin Joong-kwon
Meanwhile, Minister Choo’s past remarks were also reexamined that day.
Former Dongyang University professor Jin Joong-kwon shared on his Facebook a video of Minister Choo, then a Democratic Party (now the Democratic Party of Korea) lawmaker, criticizing former Prime Minister Chung Hong-won regarding former Prosecutor General Chae’s resignation during a government questioning session.
Minister Choo raised her voice toward former Prime Minister Chung, saying, "Prime Minister, didn’t you drive out the hardworking Prosecutor General? Didn’t you also dismiss the investigation chief who insisted on investigation and prosecution?"
In response, former professor Jin sharply criticized, saying, "A letter I send to myself. Past Choo Mi-ae to present Choo Mi-ae," adding, "People in this regime seem not to be Homo sapiens but a different species. Isn’t their brain structure completely different?"
Voices criticizing this also emerged in the political sphere.
People Power Party lawmaker Jo Soo-jin posted a screenshot of the video on her Facebook that day and criticized it as "Choo’s double standards." The term '-ro-nam-bul' means "Romance when I do it, adultery when others do it," referring to a lenient attitude toward one’s own actions while criticizing others for the same behavior.
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