Criticism of 'Own Goal Hat-trick Player' Kim Du-gwan, Chu Mi-ae Retorts "Can We Stay Silent When the President Is Mocked?"

Former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Joo-hee] Former Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae responded to Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Doo-kwan, who criticized her as a "suicide goal hat-trick player" in relation to the final guilty verdict of former Gyeongnam Governor Kim Kyung-soo, by saying, "Was it politically right to watch comments mocking even the president and disrupting the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics at that time?"

On the 23rd, former Minister Chu appeared on 'JTBC Ssuljeon Live' and addressed the emerging 'responsibility theory' regarding the guilty verdict for conspiring to manipulate comments involving former Governor Kim, stating, "(The claim that Chu Mi-ae was the first to report Druking) is not true. The party could not have known about the report on Druking," she said.

Earlier, on the 22nd, lawmaker Kim Doo-kwan criticized former Minister Chu in a radio interview, calling her "a hat-trick player who scored three own goals: the impeachment of Roh Moo-hyun, the midwife of Yoon Seok-youl, and the resignation of Kim Kyung-soo," adding, "I cannot help but resent candidate Chu Mi-ae." The claim is that former Minister Chu, who was the Democratic Party leader during the 2018 'Druking Special Prosecutor' investigation, urged the investigation into Druking, which ultimately led to the own goal of the final guilty verdict against former Governor Kim.

In response, former Minister Chu said, "I discovered that Naver was accessing the site through mechanical methods and requested an investigation," denying the claim that she reported Druking.

Former Minister Chu explained, "The party made tireless efforts to turn the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, which was almost unprepared, into a peaceful Olympics, and the president personally took part in this," adding, "At that time, there was significant national division over the arrival of the North Korean team. Comments mocking even the president were posted, so the party set up countermeasures and requested crackdowns."

She emphasized, "I want to ask candidate Kim Doo-kwan whether it was politically right to watch the mocking of the president, disruption of the Olympics, and division unfold," stressing that it was the response required of her as the party leader at the time.