Choo Mi-ae, Recipient of the 'Choi Jae-hyung Award,' Says "I Am the Justice Minister of the Moon Government Established by Candlelight"

Choo Mi-ae Receives Gwangbokhoe's 'Choi Jae-hyung Award' Amid Controversy
Choi Jae-hyung Memorial Association: "Awarded Without Approval... Damaging Mr. Choi's Honor"

Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae is delivering a greeting at the 'Independence Activist Choi Jae-hyung Award' ceremony held on the 25th at the Gwangbok Hall in Yeouido, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Choo Mi-ae, Minister of Justice who is about to retire, received the 'Independence Activist Choi Jae-hyung Award' presented by the Liberation Association on the 25th. In her acceptance speech, Minister Choo said, "I would like to once again express my gratitude for giving me the opportunity to tighten my collar with such an award."

Minister Choo attended the award ceremony held at the Liberation Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, in the afternoon and received the Choi Jae-hyung Award from Kim Won-woong, President of the Liberation Association.

The Liberation Association announced that Minister Choo was selected as the recipient in recognition of her efforts during her tenure to nationalize 171 parcels of pro-Japanese property, including land owned by pro-Japanese collaborator Lee Hae-seung, who was granted a Japanese noble title after the colonial period, with a publicly announced value of 52 billion KRW (market value 300 billion KRW).

In her acceptance speech, Minister Choo said, "I felt a bit shy coming to this place," and added, "The fact that the Ministry of Justice was able to recover more than 50 billion KRW of pro-Japanese property for the first time is probably a sign of interest and support for the Ministry to do even better in the future. I am receiving this not from my personal standpoint but as a call for the Ministry of Justice’s attention and efforts."

Referring to herself as "the Minister of Justice of the Moon Jae-in government established by the Candlelight Movement," Minister Choo mentioned the calligraphy left by independence activist Ahn Jung-geun in prison, "Wi-guk Heon-sin Gun-in Bon-bun" (爲國獻身軍人本分 - Devotion to the country is the duty of a soldier), emphasizing that "dedication to justice is the duty of public officials in the Moon Jae-in government."

She continued, "In a few days, I will finish my hectic term as minister and leave," and said, "It has been a year of running with such a mindset, and I would like to once again express my gratitude for giving me the opportunity to tighten my collar with such an award. I will never forget the warm support, engrave it in my heart, and take it as a compass to reflect on and refine myself."

Earlier, in response to Minister Choo’s award news, the Independence Activist Choi Jae-hyung Memorial Association (the Association) issued a statement the day before, opposing the award by saying, "Awarding the 'Choi Jae-hyung Award' without the approval of the descendants and this Association damages the honor of Mr. Choi."

The Association pointed out, "Awarding an award using the name of Mr. Choi Jae-hyung, who is respected by the public beyond political parties, is a political activity prohibited by the Liberation Association’s bylaws," and added, "It is judged to be for the personal gain of Kim Won-woong, President of the Liberation Association."

Meanwhile, the Choi Jae-hyung Award was established last year by the Liberation Association to honor the spirit of the late Choi Jae-hyung (1860?1920), who financially supported the independence movement.