Choo Mi-ae: "Since I announced my candidacy, Yoon's approval rating has dropped... No interest in the X-file"

Former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae is giving a speech declaring her candidacy for the 20th presidential election at a studio in Heyri, Paju, Gyeonggi Province on the 23rd. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim So-young] Former Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae said, "Since I officially announced my presidential bid, my approval rating has risen while former Prosecutor General Yoon's approval rating has fallen." However, differing opinions are emerging in the political sphere regarding Chu's presidential run.

On the afternoon of the 24th, on YTN Radio's 'Lee Dong-hyung's News Face-off,' former Minister Chu stated, "Some say that once I declared my candidacy, a sense of rivalry was triggered. I do not mind," expressing her stance.

Regarding the so-called 'Yoon Seok-yeol X-file,' she criticized, "I don't need to see it nor am I interested," adding, "Based on my professional experience, I think he is a highly problematic Prosecutor General."

When asked about the high unfavorable ratings in the presidential candidate approval polls, she responded, "All candidates from the democratic reform camp had high unfavorable ratings. No one with high favorability has ever become president."

She continued, "President Kim Dae-jung faced division and dictatorship head-on, which led to high unfavorable ratings, and President Roh Moo-hyun also confronted unfairness and privilege directly, resulting in quite high unfavorable ratings. This is part of the process," she added.

Earlier, on the 17th, former Minister Chu targeted former Prosecutor General Yoon by saying, "No one knows Yoon Seok-yeol as well as I do, so I am the hawk that catches the pheasant."

In response, on the 23rd, Seol Hoon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said on CBS Radio's 'Kim Jong-dae's News Up,' "She says she wants to be the hawk that catches the pheasant, but I don't know from what position she wants to be that hawk," and added, "Isn't she raising the pheasant while trying to catch it?"

Also, Cho Soo-jin, a Supreme Council member of the People Power Party, wrote on her Facebook on the 24th, "I am not curious about who is the pheasant and who is the hawk," and criticized, "Former Minister Chu said, 'No one knows former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol as well as I do. I am the hawk that catches the pheasant.' This is nothing less than deciding to run for president to 'target Yoon Seok-yeol.'"