Presidential Office: "Personnel Secretary's Wife Planned Event... No Accompaniment of Mrs. Kim"

"No preferential treatment or conflict of interest... Other staff status, all administrative procedures properly conducted"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Bae Kyunghwan] The Presidential Office has stated that there is no issue regarding reports that A, the spouse of Lee Won-mo, Personnel Secretary of the Presidential Office, accompanied First Lady Kim Geon-hee during the recent North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit trip. It was explained that A planned and supported the entire schedule and did not accompany or attend the First Lady's schedule.

On the morning of the 6th, a Presidential Office official said at a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office, "We provided essential flight and accommodation support for the business trip, but since A was in the capacity of an accompanying staff member and did not receive separate compensation, we clarify that there is no possibility of preferential treatment or conflict of interest."

The controversy began when it became known that A accompanied the NATO summit schedule. As a businessperson without an official position, A first traveled to Spain for a preliminary inspection and reportedly supported some of the First Lady’s duties during the visit. However, when asked whether A was involved in the First Lady’s schedule, the Presidential Office responded, "No," adding, "A participated in planning, but many people keep saying 'accompanying,' but A never accompanied even once." Regarding concerns about a conflict of interest as the Personnel Secretary’s spouse, the official explained, "A did not go because she is the Personnel Secretary’s wife," further stating, "She has extensive overseas experience from long stays abroad, is proficient in English, and has planned and hosted international exchange events."

Earlier, the Presidential Office issued a statement the previous night confirming that A supported various event planning during the NATO schedule. The statement explained, "A went as an accompanying staff member and completed all administrative procedures lawfully," adding, "Essential flight and accommodation were supported for the trip, but since A was in the capacity of accompanying staff and did not receive separate compensation, there is absolutely no possibility of preferential treatment or conflict of interest."

However, the official added, "A initially intended to undergo the Presidential Office hiring process, but after her husband was confirmed as Personnel Secretary and concerns about conflict of interest arose, she ultimately declined the hiring," and acknowledged, "It is true that she initially planned to go through the hiring process while working," indicating that related controversy is likely to continue for some time.

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