Life Summary
Choo Mi-ae is the Governor-elect of Gyeonggi Province.

She became the first woman in South Korean constitutional history to lead a metropolitan-level local government after winning the June 3, 2026 local elections for governor of Gyeonggi Province.

She was born in Daegu on October 23, 1958.

She graduated from Gyeongbuk Girls' High School and Hanyang University’s College of Law and earned a master's degree in economics from the Graduate School of Economics at Yonsei University.

After passing the national bar examination, she served as a judge before entering politics at the recommendation of former President Kim Dae-jung.

She was first elected to the National Assembly from Seoul's Gwangjin B constituency. In the 2024 general election, she won the Hanam A constituency in Gyeonggi Province, becoming the first woman in South Korean history to serve six terms as a member of the National Assembly.

During Roh Moo-hyun's presidential campaign, she led the People's Participation Movement Headquarters and earned the nickname "Pig Mom." However, she suffered a political setback and lost her seat after supporting the impeachment of President Roh in 2004. She later rebuilt her political career, served as leader of the Democratic Party, and was appointed Minister of Justice under the Moon Jae-in administration, where she spearheaded prosecution reform.

As Minister of Justice, she became a symbolic figure of prosecution reform by leading disciplinary action against Prosecutor General Yoon Suk Yeol. However, court rulings that blocked some of her actions also dealt her political setbacks.

Following the 2024 general election, she ran in the primary race to become Speaker of the National Assembly for the first half of the 22nd Assembly but lost to Rep. Woo Won-shik. She later served as chair of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, leading follow-up legislation on prosecution reform, including bills to establish the Public Prosecution Office and the Serious Crimes Investigation Office.

She is widely known for her direct style of speech and her tendency to push relentlessly toward her goals. She regards "principles and conviction" as the highest virtues in politics.

She is often described as being "filled with indomitable spirit" and is also known by the nickname "Choo d'Arc," a reference to Joan of Arc.

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