Former South Korean justice minister Choo Mi-ae's image appears in North Korean newspaper

The image of Choo Mi-ae, former Justice Minister during the Moon Jae-in government, appeared in the North Korean state-owned newspaper Rodong Sinmun on Tuesday. Choo took part in an anti-Yoon Suk Yeol rally on Saturday.

Former Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae during the Moon Jae-in govrnment appears on the North Korean state-owned news publication, Rodong Sinmun, on Tuesday. Choo was attending a rally against President Yoon Suk Yeol during the weekend. [RODONG SINMUN CAPTURE]

The image of Choo Mi-ae, former Justice Minister during the Moon Jae-in government, appeared in the North Korean state-owned newspaper Rodong Sinmun on Tuesday.

In the photograph, Choo is seen holding a picket demanding a special prosecutor to investigate the first lady, Kim Kun Hee, during a rally in front of the president's residence in Hannam-dong on Saturday.

Another individual seated beside Choo displays a sign calling for the resignation of President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The North Korean article addressed the ongoing series of rallies against President Yoon, with several Democratic Party (DP) members, including Rep. Kim Yong-min, participating almost every weekend.

According to the article, the demand for Yoon's impeachment steadily grows daily.

Describing Yoon as a corrupt, fascist dictator with malicious intent, the North Korean paper asserted that the South Korean president is steering the peninsula toward a nuclear war.

The article claimed that there was increasing frustration in the South over the president's rhetoric of pre-emptive strikes against the North and provocative military exercises with the U.S. and Japan as retaliatory measures.

While the North Korean newspaper has previously published images of rallies against the South Korean president, it is uncommon for a prominent politician like Choo to appear.

Choo, a former judge and five-term lawmaker, served as the Democratic Party leader between 2016 and 2018.

Choo is credited with elevating Yoon as the PPP’s presidential candidate by boosting his public profile through confrontation with him when he served as the prosecutor general at the time.

The two confronted each other over the prosecutors’ office investigation into Choo’s predecessor as justice minister, Cho Kuk, and his family.

The investigation involved Cho Kuk and his wife, who were accused of fabricating documents to help their daughter get into medical school in Busan.

Cho Kuk's wife, Chung Kyung-sim, was convicted and sentenced to four years in prison for falsifying their daughter's academic achievements, while Cho Kuk received a two-year sentence but was not arrested.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]