Cheong Wa Dae Special Activity Expenses and First Lady Protocol Expenses Likely to Remain Confidential... Lawsuit Expected to Be Dismissed After Moon's Term Ends

Due to stagnant air conditions, the concentration of ultrafine dust reached a 'bad' level on the 26th, causing the Blue House in Seoul to appear hazy. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Recently, the special activity expenses of the Blue House and the protocol costs of First Lady Kim Jung-sook, which the court ruled to "disclose," are likely to remain undisclosed as President Moon Jae-in's term is about to end.

According to the legal community on the 13th, the Presidential Secretariat filed an appeal on the 2nd against the Seoul Administrative Court's ruling to disclose the special activity expenses and First Lady Kim's protocol costs, following a request from Kim Seon-taek, chairman of the Taxpayers Federation.

This case is expected to be received by the Seoul High Court soon, assigned to a judge, and heard. However, unlike the first trial, a dismissal ruling is likely in the appellate court. The appellate court's decision is currently expected to come after the next administration takes office. President Moon's term expires in May. However, the appellate trial has not yet begun, and if appealed to the Supreme Court, the trial could be prolonged further.

If the administration changes during the trial and the relevant materials become presidential designated records, the court will have no choice but to dismiss the plaintiff's claim. This is because the Presidential Secretariat holding the materials will no longer exist, making the lawsuit itself untenable.

Records that pose a significant risk to national security or could undermine the stability of the national economy are designated as presidential records and remain undisclosed for up to 15 years (30 years for records related to private life). Previously, the first trial ruled to disclose the special activity expense payment resolutions, operational guidelines, the budget allocation amount for First Lady Kim's protocol costs, and expenditure details.

There was a similar precedent five years ago during the Park Geun-hye administration. At that time, Ha Seung-su, co-chairman of the Green Party and co-representative of "Catch the Tax Thieves," filed a request in October 2014 to disclose how the Blue House executed its budget, including special activity expenses and travel allowances. When the Blue House decided not to disclose, he filed an administrative lawsuit.

The first trial ruled in March 2016 to disclose the information, but in March 2017, while the appeal was ongoing, former President Park was impeached, and the appellate court overturned the first trial and dismissed the case, stating that "the defendants no longer hold the information."

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