Choo Mi-ae, the longest-serving member of the Democratic Party of Korea with six terms, was elected as chairperson of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.
On the morning of the 21st, Choo was elected as the chairperson of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, receiving 164 votes in favor out of a total of 173 votes cast.
In her acceptance speech, Chairperson Choo noted, "The election of the chairperson of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee is a command from the people to complete the tasks of reforming the prosecution and the media. I will not forget that meaning" and added, "Now is an important turning point to restore the broken law and justice."
She emphasized, "I am witnessing the tragic situation where the Constitution has been trampled upon due to the runaway power of the past, and even serious charges of treason are currently under trial," stating, "As the chairperson of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, I will do my utmost to no longer delay the reform of power agencies, which is the wish of the people."
Chairperson Choo is a politician with a background as a judge, and she is the longest-serving member of the party and the longest-serving female member in legislative history. The Democratic Party has judged Chairperson Choo to be the right person for reforming the prosecution, which centers on the separation of investigation and prosecution. Previously, Chairperson Choo served as Minister of Justice from 2020 to 2021 during the Moon Jae-in administration.
The vote was conducted to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of the previous member, Lee Chun-seok, an independent, due to allegations of transaction of stocks under another name. The Legislation and Judiciary Committee is expected to quickly proceed with a legislative hearing related to prosecution reform following Chairperson Choo's election.