Choo Mi-ae

Choo sought the suspension and disciplinary sanction of Prosecutor General Yoon Suk Yeol. A court quickly reinstated him by injunction. In 2021, an administrative court considered certain breaches sufficiently serious to justify a sanction, but in December 2023 the Seoul High Court overturned the measure because of irregularities in the disciplinary procedure; the ministry did not appeal.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Yoon won injunction; first-instance administrative court initially upheld discipline in 2021; Seoul High Court cancelled it in 2023 on procedural grounds; ministry did not appeal

Attribution

Political responsibility

Shortly after becoming Justice Minister, Choo carried out a wide-ranging reshuffle that transferred several senior prosecutors close to Prosecutor General Yoon Suk Yeol and involved in politically sensitive investigations. The opposition described it as a purge and submitted an impeachment motion.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Choo's ministry refused to provide Parliament with the full text of the indictment against several allies of Moon Jae-in in the Ulsan election case, departing from longstanding practice. The opposition and prosecutors denounced an attempt to protect those in power.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Choo ordered Yoon Suk Yeol not to supervise an investigation involving a Channel A journalist and prosecutor Han Dong-hoon. Yoon proposed an independent team, which Choo rejected, before ultimately complying with the direction.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Formal ministerial direction; no criminal conviction against Choo

Attribution

Political responsibility

Choo was accused of using her influence to facilitate an extension of her son's medical leave during military service. The case prompted searches, interviews and major political controversy.

Legal status — source text

Prosecutors found no illegal intervention and cleared Choo

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist not prosecuted

Choo requested examination of a mechanism allowing sanctions against suspects who refused to disclose their phone passwords in certain investigations. Civil liberties organisations, lawyers and politicians denounced a possible infringement of the right against self-incrimination.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Choo was found guilty of claiming during the 2016 campaign that a former head of the judicial administration had promised to retain the Seoul Eastern District Court in her constituency. The judges found that no such promise had been made and imposed an 800,000-won fine, upheld on appeal.

Attribution

Personally implicated

Upon former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook's release from prison, Choo publicly described her imprisonment as unjust and attacked the judicial proceedings despite a final conviction, prompting criticism from lawyers and the opposition over respect for the separation of powers.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

No proceedings against Choo

Attribution

Personally implicated

Choo acknowledged that a relative had worked as a secretary in her parliamentary office for several years. Against the backdrop of a broader nepotism scandal in the National Assembly, she apologised and announced that she would end the arrangement.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Direct responsibility