Choo Mi-ae Elected as Chairman of the National Assembly’s Judiciary Committee… Return of the Six-Term Veteran

Choo Mi-ae, a member of the Democratic Party and former Minister of Justice, who had a fierce confrontation with former President Yoon Seok-yeol when he was the Prosecutor General, is once again at odds with the prosecution.

The 'six-term' lawmaker has been elected as the new chairman of the National Assembly’s Judiciary Committee.

In the vote held during the National Assembly’s plenary session on the morning of the 21st, Chairman Choo received 164 out of 173 votes.

This election came after the previous chairman, Lee Chun-seok, resigned and left the Democratic Party amid allegations of “suspicion of stock trading in a third-party name.” Members of the People Power Party, who had requested the chairmanship, were denied and thus abstained from the vote.

Former Judge and Ex-Minister of Justice… "Complete Prosecutorial Reform"

Chairman Choo, a former judge with six terms of experience, previously served as the Minister of Justice during the Moon Jae-in administration. Democratic Party Floor Leader Kim Byeong-ki stated, "Choo Mi-ae is the most seasoned individual to lead prosecutorial reform," and he requested the position of the Judiciary Committee chairman for her.

Immediately after her election, Chairman Choo stated, "I accept this election as a mandate from the people to complete the tasks of prosecutorial, media, and judicial reform," and added, "I will never forget that meaning."

She continued, "I am witnessing the devastating reality where the constitution is trampled by the rampage of power and a serious charge of insurrection is being trialed," pointing out, "At the center of this are the shameful actions of certain power institutions that attempted to lord over the people or aided in that."

"No Further Delay in Reforming Power Institutions"

Chairman Choo emphasized, "The reform of power institutions is the people's aspiration," and stated, "I will ensure this is accomplished without any further delay." She declared, "Through reform legislation, we will realize reforms that prevent power from ever standing above the people again."

With this election, the Judiciary Committee is expected to accelerate discussions on prosecutorial and judicial reform legislation. The Democratic Party plans to actively pursue related legislation under Chairman Choo's leadership.

Image Source: Choo Mi-ae, Member of the Democratic Party / News1, News1