Former Blue House Official Says "Choo Mi-ae Was Used and Discarded... She Finally Spoke Out After Enduring It"

"Choo Mi-ae Values Public Good Over Personal Interests"

Cho Seunghyun, Senior Standing Vice Chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea’s National Communication Committee and a former Blue House administrator under the Moon Jae-in administration, defended former Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae after she revealed that former President Moon Jae-in pressured her to resign. He stated, "The process of dismissing former Minister Choo felt so much like a case of 'use and discard' (tosa-gu-pyeong) that it left a strong impression."

On July 4, during an appearance on BBS's "Jeon Young-shin's Morning Journal," Vice Chairman Cho said, "When former Minister Cho Kuk was thoroughly investigated and no one had the courage or willingness to take up the post of Justice Minister, former Minister Choo stepped up and devoted herself to the Moon Jae-in administration. I believe that many of our party members, myself included, felt that the process of her stepping down was a clear case of 'use and discard' (tosa-gu-pyeong)."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, former Minister Choo revealed on OhmyTV that former President Moon pressured her to resign. On KBS Radio the previous day, she also stated that former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yon pressured her to step down for the sake of the by-elections.

Vice Chairman Cho commented, "Looking back at the dismissal process, I believe there were aspects that were unfair enough to be considered a case of 'use and discard' (tosa-gu-pyeong). I may not know every detail of how it happened, but I believe she finally spoke out after holding it in for years."

On the other hand, Kwak Kwanyong, head of the People Power Party’s Namyangju-eul district committee, who appeared on the radio program alongside Cho, offered a critical assessment, saying that former Minister Choo's revelations were motivated by her personal interests. Kwak stated, "I have always thought that she acts for her own interests-her political moves and her political future-rather than for the public good, the party, or any community. Even during the conflict between Choo and Yoon, I felt that she seemed to somewhat enjoy expressing her anger and frustration. It appears that she really likes being in the spotlight."

In response, Vice Chairman Cho emphasized, "I can say this with certainty because I observed former Minister Choo for a year-albeit not a long time-while working alongside her in the party leader’s office: among our Democratic Party leaders, she is one of those who always prioritizes the public good over personal interests. Figures like former President Moon, former Minister Choo, and former leader Lee Hae-chan always put the public interest before their own."