Lee Jun-seok on Kim Jung-sook's clothing expense controversy: "If cases of special activity fund spending arise, all must be returned before leaving"

People Power Party "The More You Hide, the More Suspicions Amplify"

Lee Jun-seok, the leader of the People Power Party, is delivering a congratulatory speech at the 5th Overseas Korean Policy Forum held on the 30th at the National Assembly Members' Office Building under the theme "Hopes for Overseas Korean Policies from the New Government." Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, commented on June 30 regarding the controversy over the clothing expenses and protocol costs of Kim Jung-sook, wife of President Moon Jae-in, saying, "Since the Moon Jae-in administration was sensitive to the special activity expenses (teukhwaldongbi) of the Park Geun-hye government, I hope no counterexamples will emerge."

In a post on his Facebook that day, Lee began by saying, "If Mrs. Kim had paid for all her clothing expenses out of her own pocket, it would be difficult to criticize."

He continued, "However, what the Blue House needs to understand is that the claim that 'all' expenses were paid personally can be disproved by a single counterexample," and pointed out, "If cases of special activity expenses arise, all clothing purchase records should be disclosed, and the clothes should be returned before leaving."

Earlier, on the 29th, the Blue House refuted allegations that special activity expenses were used for Mrs. Kim’s clothing purchases, calling them "baseless claims" and stating, "This is completely untrue."

Shin Hye-hyun, deputy spokesperson of the Blue House, said in a briefing, "For official activities such as inter-state summits, state visits abroad, and hosting foreign dignitaries, protocol costs for diplomatic activities as the head of state and first lady are partially supported within the minimum necessary budget through strict internal procedures as part of event-related expenses."

She added, "We regret the indiscriminate and factually incorrect claims made under the pretext that the Presidential Secretariat’s special activity expenses cannot be specifically disclosed due to reasons related to defense, diplomacy, and security."

First Lady Kim Jung-sook, wife of President Moon Jae-in, is speaking at a meeting with Egyptian Korean culture promotion experts held at a hotel in Cairo, Egypt, last January. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, the People Power Party urged the disclosure of Mrs. Kim’s Blue House special activity expenses and personal spending details. Kang Min-guk, the party’s floor spokesperson, emphasized in a statement that day, "If Mrs. Kim did not use special activity expenses, she should openly disclose this to the public with confidence."

He continued, "If she bore the costs personally, there is no reason not to disclose it, and even if special activity expenses were used, transparent disclosure to the public to seek understanding would suffice," criticizing, "The more it is hidden, the more suspicions will only intensify."

He also said, "Truths that cannot be proven are not truths," and added, "We hope the Blue House will openly disclose the details of special activity expenses and personal spending. That is the only way for the Blue House’s explanation to gain public trust."

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