Kim Geon-hee's 'Secret Aide' Controversy Spurs Opposition Party to Propose Bill for 'Disclosure of Overseas Trip Attendants'

Opposition Lawmaker Proposes Bill to Disclose List of Presidential Overseas Trip Attendants

President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee are boarding a private jet at Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on the 27th for their first overseas trip since taking office. The presidential couple will attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit held in Madrid, Spain, on the 29th-30th (local time).
/Seongnam=Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] The Democratic Party of Korea has proposed a bill that mandates the public disclosure of the list of aides accompanying the president on overseas trips.

This move follows controversy after it was revealed that A, the spouse of Lee Won-mo, the personnel secretary of the presidential office, accompanied President Yoon Seok-yeol and his wife during their visit to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

On the 8th, Democratic Party lawmaker Jeon Yong-gi proposed an amendment to the "Act on Appointment and Authority of Government Representatives and Special Envoys," which requires the disclosure of the list of aides accompanying the president, prime minister, foreign minister, government representatives, and special envoys on overseas trips.

However, the amendment includes a proviso that, in principle, the list of aides should be disclosed, but it may be withheld if there are reasons related to security or national secrets.

According to the bill, if the list is not disclosed, the reasons must be submitted to the National Assembly. Lawmaker Jeon stated, "The president's overseas trips are a matter of a different level than ordinary people's overseas travel, and bringing people along just because they are acquaintances is itself a wrong situation."

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