Ex-Justice Minister Choo to declare presidential bid this week

Former Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae on Sunday announced a plan to declare her presidential bid this week, entering an increasingly crowded field of the race to become the ruling Democratic Party's standard-bearer for next year's election.

Choo said that she plans to announce her intention to run for president through her social media channel at 2 p.m. on Wednesday.

Choo put forward her vision of a "Country that Elevates People."

"There is nothing above people. People stand higher than money, higher than earth, higher than power," she wrote on Facebook, saying she would pursue a country that "elevates the dignity of its people at the entrance of becoming an advanced, strong country."

A series of ruling party members have expressed their intentions to join the race to win a ticket for the presidential election. Among them are former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, Gangwon Province Gov. Choi Moon-soon and Rep. Park Yong-jin.

Until late January, Choo, known as a loyalist to President Moon Jae-in, served as justice minister for more than a year, leading the Moon administration's campaign for prosecution reform. She previously led the ruling party. (Yonhap)