South Korea’s new lawmakers are preparing to take office at the end of May, and one of their first tasks will be to make the important decision of who will be the next speaker of the National Assembly.

Choo Mi-ae, a former justice minister and six-time elected lawmaker for the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), is increasingly regarded as a frontrunner for the position and could make history as the first woman to hold the influential role.

But while Choo has garnered support from the DP’s support bases and incumbent lawmakers, her recent statements have sparked controversy by signaling