"Can't Compromise"...27-Year-Old Video of Choo Mi-ae's Evaluation Resurfaces Online

As Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae faces criticism for her remarks about "fire service budget straws," evaluations made by fellow politicians 27 years ago are being resurfaced. A YouTube Shorts video re-edited from 1999 broadcast footage exceeded 140,000 views within four days of being posted on the 20th, continuing to stir discussion online.

The video contains evaluations of then-first-term Lawmaker Choo Mi-ae by fellow politicians at the time. Former Lawmember Jung Han-yong said, "She doesn't compromise well," and former Lawmember Jung Dong-young characterized her nature by saying, "regardless of any obstacles all the way through." Late former President Roh Moo-hyun, who was Vice Chairman at the time, appears saying, "She needs to be able to compromise and bend, but she boldly opposes and rashly charges at against instructions and requests from superiors...it can become a disadvantage in doing politics." The comment section filled with reactions saying, "Nothing has changed even after 27 years."

Evaluations from political senior statesmen also resurfaced. Former National Assembly Secretary General Yoo In-tae disclosed on CBS Radio's "Park Sung-tae's News Show" on the 21st an anecdote about Governor Choo visiting the late President Roh's vacation spot in Jeju four days after his election to discuss founding a new party, saying, "The ink wasn't even dry on the ballot—how can you bring that up now?" He added, "Even if she had such intentions, she shows no common sense whatsoever in situational judgment regarding timing or who the other party is."

Lee Jae-o, standing committee member of the People Power Party who appeared together, directly targeted her fire service remarks. He said, "It's the government's job to spend more money and not have people die, rather than spend less and have people die," and criticized her by saying, "Politics is done not for the people and the nation, but as a style to enjoy power."

Governor Choo sparked controversy on the 13th when she said at the Gyeonggi Province state affairs inspection of the Parliamentary Administration and Security Committee that "fire service is the most troublesome budget straw," and offered an official apology on the 19th, six days later. The following day, she held talks with the National Korean Public Service Workers' Union Fire Department at the provincial office to address the issue. However, as Lawmember Bu Seung-chan of the same party repeated similar expressions at the state inspection on the 19th, the controversy remains unresolved.

The two senior statesmen agreed on the broadcast that today's politics has lost dialogue and compromise, instead focusing only on hardline supporters. Former Secretary General Yoo said this: "What will happen to the nation in a world where rowdy supporters take center stage?" This is the reason why the character evaluation from 27 years ago has been brought up again.