Choi Jae-sung "Special Activity Funds Were Originally Confidential... Blaming It Is the Problem"

"The Public's Habit of Setting Traps with Curious Clothes and Shoes Is a Bad Practice"

Choi Jae-sung, former Senior Secretary for Political Affairs at the Blue House. [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Choi Jaesung, former Senior Secretary for Political Affairs at the Blue House, criticized the controversy surrounding the clothing expenses of First Lady Kim Jung-sook, wife of President Moon Jae-in, on the 30th, calling it a "politically low and despicable accusation."

Former Secretary Choi stated this on the afternoon of the same day during MBC Radio's 'Pyo Chang-won's News High Kick' in response to questions about the protocol expense controversy, saying, "It's absurd."

Regarding the claim that the details of the Blue House's special activity expenses should be disclosed in relation to Mrs. Kim's clothing expenses, he said, "Special activity expenses are not subject to disclosure," adding, "What President Moon referred to in the past was the Blue House budget, and special activity expenses are originally confidential."

He continued, "(Special activity expenses) probably have various uses. What would happen if they were disclosed?" He explained, "For example, if someone was met and it involved state secrets or national security, even having a meal could become an issue and security could be compromised. Since it would expose all the activities the President conducted at the Blue House, although the court ruled on it, demanding disclosure is excessive."

Additionally, former Secretary Choi pointed out, "(Special activity expenses) can be used internally unless they were politically motivated or involved bribery during the Lee Myung-bak or Park Geun-hye administrations," adding, "Blaming special activity expenses itself is problematic."

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]

He said, "'If the clothes were bought with personal funds, then just disclose that,' but such criticism will find fault no matter what is disclosed."

He went on to say, "This time, various disclosures are being made about Mrs. Kim, including how much her clothes cost. They even mockingly compare her to Imelda, the wife of former Philippine President Marcos."

He added, "She ordered 15 pairs of Myungjang shoes, which cost between 200,000 and 400,000 won each. She also had 10 hanboks and coats made, totaling about 7 million won, so each item cost around 600,000 to 700,000 won, or 700,000 to 800,000 won. There is no trace of purchasing luxury items worth 5 million or 10 million won. Using such things for political attacks is excessive."

Furthermore, he criticized, "Even if explanations are given, political attacks continue. This is just trying to drag things into a political swamp. Setting traps over clothes or shoes that the public is curious about is a matter of standards and truly a bad habit."

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