"I went because it was said to be a popular restaurant, but it was a mess"—Choo Mi-ae takes aim at President Lee Jae Myung for defending Kim Ji-yong

[Financial News] President Lee Jae Myung has voiced support for Kim Ji-yong's nomination as candidate to head the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, while Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae has drawn attention by posting what appears to be a pointed criticism of him.

On the 1st, Choo wrote on social media, "I went there after being told it was a popular restaurant and receiving a recommendation. But when I actually looked around, the hygiene was terrible and the staff were unfriendly," adding, "The ingredients and the taste of the food were both poor."
She continued, "After learning that the sign displayed outside was different from the reality inside, I could not recommend the place to others," adding, "I thought the right thing to do was to tell at least the people I care about what I had seen and advise them against going there so they would not suffer the same disappointment."
Although Choo described it as a "popular restaurant," the target of her criticism is understood to be Kim. During the Moon Jae-in administration, Kim was selected as a senior prosecutor while Choo was serving as minister of justice. This explains why Choo brought up the restaurant story, saying, "People are the same. I believe it is my duty to tell others what they should be wary of if I am someone who has experienced it firsthand."

The previous day, President Lee argued on X, formerly Twitter, against claims that Kim was a "pro-Yoon prosecutor." He said, "If you say that a former prosecutor who is an investigative expert should not be appointed to lead an important investigative agency simply because he comes from a prosecutorial background, that is essentially the same as saying we should ruin the Serious Crime Investigation Agency." In the process, he also emphasized that Kim had been promoted while Choo was serving as minister.
Meanwhile, on the 16th of last month, Choo also compared Kim to a "secret agent" and Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann, calling for his nomination to be withdrawn.
[email protected] Kim Hee-sun Reporter