Gyeonggi Gov. Choo Mi-ae, at a site honoring victims of the democratization movement, took aim at President Lee Jae-myung, saying, "The president must punish the forces of insurrection, so why is he being carried by the insurrectionist forces and fretting?"
Gov. Choo stated accordingly at the "2026 Gyeonggi-do memorial for victims of the democratization movement," held on the 12th at the Democratic and Martyrs' Cemetery in Moran Park, Namyangju, Gyeonggi. The prepared eulogy was replaced with a handout, followed by an impromptu remark.
Reviewing the history from the Donghak Peasant Movement through the struggle for democratization, Gov. Choo said, "Elections have become democratized to the point that we can elect a president with our own hands," adding, "After an election, the will of the people, the sovereign, must be upheld. So democratization is ongoing."
She noted that without properly operating on the ills of the prosecution organization—which has monopolized powerful authorities such as investigative power and the right to request warrants, and has pressured statements or distorted cases—true democracy cannot be discussed.
She said, "Prosecutors of Yoon Suk-yeol have continued to receive good posts and get promoted even though power changed hands after democratization," adding, "Prosecutors of Yoon Suk-yeol are becoming more aggressive to survive—if they are accepted as they are, does that mean democratization is complete?"
She also criticized the nomination of Kim Ji-yong as chief of the Major Crime Investigation Agency, saying, "If someone who was in the same boat as Han Dong-hoon becomes the inaugural head of the Major Crime Investigation Agency, is that democratization, is that changing the country, is that serving the will of the people as sovereigns? That is why democratization is by no means over."
Direct sharp words toward President Lee Jae-myung followed. Gov. Choo said, "In the dead of winter or under the scorching sun, people who could hardly manage even three meals a day joined forces to overcome insurrection and establish electoral democracy," adding, "We reclaimed the constitutional order that the insurrectionist forces nearly stole."
She continued, "If so, the president must punish these forces—why is he being carried by them and fretting, why is he treating the democratic martyrs as in the past?" Aiming at President Lee, she said, "You have not fulfilled your duty. You must come here. You must beg. You must swear again."
Gov. Choo also emphasized that an elite class, gripping power and forming an entrenched-interest cartel, is seizing the fruits of people's livelihoods and making a mockery of the law, and that uprooting this is the path to realizing justice in people's livelihoods. She also delivered a sharp reprimand to the Yeouido political establishment, which is neglecting pending issues while focusing solely on an early presidential race, urging it to fulfill the urgent tasks of the time first.
Her remarks align with the context she outlined in a recent broadcast appearance, where she noted that the weakening of reform momentum is the fundamental cause of the president's approval ratings decline. At the time, Gov. Choo also pointed out problems in the appointments of heads of key investigative agencies and questioned the government's will for reform.