Choo Mi-ae: "Kim Gun-hee Takes Over the Lost Conservative Party... More Cunning Than Choi Soon-sil"

MBC 'Straight' Broadcast Viewer Reaction
"Conservative Party Completely Taken Over by One Woman Again"
Regarding Remarks on Cho Kuk, "Does Not Match Objective Facts," He Dismissed

Former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae attended a prosecution reform forum held at the National Assembly on November 10 last year and gave a presentation on the topic of "The Contradictions and Malpractices of Prosecutors' Direct Investigation Authority." Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] Former Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae strongly criticized Kim Gun-hee, the spouse of Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, saying she "controls candidate Yoon from behind the curtain" and is "much more subtle and cunning than Choi Soon-sil." This was her reaction after MBC's current affairs program 'Exploratory Planning Straight' (Straight) aired content related to Kim's so-called '7-hour phone call' on the 16th.

On the 17th, former Minister Chu wrote on her Facebook, calling Kim Gun-hee "the one who has completely taken over the lost conservative party," and criticized, "My impression after watching MBC Straight is that the conservative party is once again completely taken over and manipulated in the election by one woman."

She continued, "Kim was depicted as the kind of person who even entices political figure Kim Jong-in to a feast with food, someone who originally wanted to come. She gave a reporter 1.05 million won for a 30-minute lecture and even tried to persuade him by saying she could give 100 million won for playing the role of an informant. In the end, she designated the reporter's role as a double agent," she pointed out.

Regarding Kim's claim about former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, that "(Cho) was investigated too much" and "in fact, Cho's enemy is the Democratic Party," Chu dismissed it as "Kim's commentary is subjective and does not align with objective circumstances."

She predicted, "Candidate Yoon was once a prosecutor who supported the impeachment, but now he has become a candidate in a conservative stronghold, so his remarks are calculated with a clear awareness of votes."

Former Minister Chu said, "Kim's biggest problem is that she paralyzes and blocks the thoughts and discussions of the conservative party," adding, "Kim is much more subtle and cunning than Choi Soon-sil, who shouts recklessly. As People Power Party lawmaker Hong Joon-pyo said, 'Being fooled once is a mistake, twice is a fool, three times is an accomplice.'"

Yoon Seok-yeol, the wife of the People Power Party's presidential candidate Kim Geon-hee, is greeting after delivering a statement regarding allegations of false credentials at the People Power Party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of December 26 last year. / Photo by Yonhap News

She stated, "Democracy is deliberative democracy," and argued, "Without deliberation and relying on modern shamanistic politics, the conservative party has regressed."

Earlier, on the 16th, MBC's 'Straight' revealed a transcript of a 7-hour phone call between Kim and a reporter from the YouTube media outlet 'Seoul Voice.' According to the broadcast, Kim and the reporter maintained a close relationship, addressing each other as older sister and younger brother, and Kim proposed working together or requested information obtained on site.

In the transcript, Kim actively explained the suspicions raised about her. Regarding the so-called 'hostess' allegations, she drew a line by saying, "I have a personality that dislikes going to nightclubs," and "I am a very spiritual person, so at that time, I would rather read books or talk with shamans about 'what life is'."

She also expressed her views on political issues. About the 'Cho Kuk incident,' she said, "The investigation into Cho Kuk should not have been conducted like that. The investigation was attacked too much, turning it into a fight with the prosecution," and claimed, "In fact, Cho's enemy is the Democratic Party."

On the other hand, regarding former Chungnam Governor Ahn Hee-jung, who was sentenced to prison for repeatedly sexually assaulting his former secretary in 2018, she defended him by saying, "Honestly, my husband (candidate Yoon) and I are very much on Ahn Hee-jung's side," and added, "The Me Too movement was first triggered by the Moon Jae-in administration, and they said they would catch them. Why would they want to catch them?"