Choo’s indecent act

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Choo’s indecent act

The Justice Ministry’s YouTube channel Beop TV has caused an uproar for its publicity video. The video drew more negative responses than positive ones. Viewers scorned Minister Choo Mi-ae and her deputy Kim Oh-soo getting New Year’s bows from children detained at the juvenile center and handing over cash allowances. They were outraged by the political motive and fact that detainees’ faces had been broadcasted.

The video was filmed on the Lunar New Year to show Choo and other senior officials from the ministry giving out gift vouchers and dining with them at a cafeteria in the center. “I came on behalf of your parents, as you would have wished to pay New Year’s bows to them,” Choo said as she received greetings from them.

If senior government officials paid more attention to the sensitivity of the delinquents and their privacy rights, such exhibitionist events could not have taken place. The awkward expression on a detainee’s face when he was bluntly asked if his parents would be coming to graduation was utterly rude.

We cannot but question whether Choo — who has been fighting against the prosecution to support the ruling power — has any kind of sensitivity and connectivity to others. She vehemently defended the rights of 13 Blue House officials and other figures who had been indicted for methodically intervening in the 2018 Ulsan mayoral election.

But she was careless with the rights of minors sheltered away from the society for a crime they had committed in tender age.

The detainees and staff at the detention center had to work all night to host the minister and ministry officials. If they really had parental compassion, they should have let the children and center staff enjoy their New Year’s holiday. People are getting tired of the hypocrisy of the people in the ruling party chanting about civilian rights, equality, fairness and justice, yet their actions show otherwise. It is shameful that the minister is preoccupied entirely in political interests.
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