Choo Mi-ae: "The Emergence of Yoon Seok-yeol and Choi Jae-hyung, Symbols of Anti-Reform"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seoyoung Kwon] Former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae, a presidential primary candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, appealed for support once again on the occasion of the 76th Liberation Day.

Today (the 15th), former Minister Choo posted on her Facebook a message titled "The 76th Anniversary of Liberation Day, Where Should We Go?" In the post, she said, "Our people, who have gone through the great journey of industrialization and democratization, restored the Republic of Korea, which was once in a constitutional crisis, through candlelight democracy in 2016," adding, "The patriotism and passion for the homeland of countless anti-Japanese independence activists who sacrificed their love, names, and honor without reservation have been revived again through the candlelight movement."

Former Minister Choo stated, "The candlelight revolution was the great cry of citizens to overcome the two greatest hardships before us?polarization and division?and move toward a new Republic of Korea," and emphasized, "After experiencing a decade of regression following the Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun administrations, we established the Moon Jae-in administration," and "If we fail to establish the fourth democratic government now, reforms will be halted again." She then mentioned key challenges for the next government, including rent reform to counter polarization, peace initiatives by the new generation regarding division, and responses to the climate crisis.

She also said, "However, the mainstream vested interests in the Republic of Korea remain solid," adding, "They deepen division and polarization, accumulate enormous wealth, wield unchecked power, and block the progress of the Republic of Korea." She further emphasized, "The cartel of prosecution, media, politics, and police is the last remnant that has not been purged since liberation."

He continued, "Their cartel has now become too blatant," saying, "It has become an absurd situation where the head of the prosecution power, subject to democratic control, and the head of the Supreme Audit Institution have abandoned their posts midway and declared their candidacy for the conservative opposition's presidential nomination," and "Conservative media, forgetting their minimum duty as the press, actively defend them and distort public opinion." This is interpreted as a reference to Yoon Seok-youl, former Prosecutor General and a presidential primary candidate of the People Power Party, and Choi Jae-hyung, former head of the Board of Audit and Inspection.

Former Minister Choo then said, "Next year's presidential election must be transformed into a significant opportunity to bring a severe frost upon their reckless provocations through reform and unity, and to open an era of great social reform in the name of 'Candlelight Again' and 'Peace Again'." She also urged, "We must arm ourselves again with the spirit of the anti-Japanese independence movement," and "Let us arm ourselves with the heart and spirit of those who did not covet their own wealth and power but only thought of the independence of the homeland and risked their lives," repeatedly appealing for support.