Kim Geun-sik "Is it difficult for Kang Kyung-hwa's spouse to return? Ministry of Foreign Affairs also likely to 'advise citizens to refrain from travel'"

On the morning of the 16th, at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Kim Geun-sik, the head of the advisory group, is speaking at the Future United Party's '2nd Meeting of the Advisory Group for the Nominee for National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won and the Intelligence Committee Members.' [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-eun] Kim Geun-sik, the head of the People Power Party's Songpa-byeong district committee, criticized on the 5th, "Since the Minister of Foreign Affairs told her husband that 'it is difficult to recommend returning to the country,' now the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will also find it difficult to recommend the public to refrain from overseas travel."

On the same day, through his Facebook, Committee Head Kim pointed out, "The spouse of a current minister ignored the minister's recommendation to refrain from travel and went on a leisure trip to the U.S. to buy a yacht. If the minister finds it difficult to ask her spouse to return, how can the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommend the public to refrain from overseas travel?" He added, "Public officials must set an example first for their words to carry weight."

He also questioned, "It is said that the yacht they intended to buy was sold for 140 million won. If Professor Lee Il-byeong actually purchased the yacht locally and planned to travel with friends, I am curious about how he prepared the payment for such an expensive yacht. It is not an amount that can be paid by card, and if he brought cash, it would be a violation of foreign exchange control laws."

Meanwhile, Lee Il-byeong, an emeritus professor at Yonsei University and the spouse of Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa, has sparked controversy for traveling to the U.S. during the Chuseok holiday to purchase a yacht despite the COVID-19 situation.

In response, Minister Kang said at a meeting with senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the afternoon of the 4th, "I feel sorry regardless of the circumstances as this happened while the public is refraining from overseas travel and other external activities," but stated, "Since my husband had planned and postponed this trip for a long time, it is difficult to request his return." Before departure, Professor Lee also shared on his blog his travel preparations, stating plans to purchase a yacht in the U.S. and sail to the Caribbean Sea.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.