Cheong Wa Dae said last Thursday that it “could not understand why it should matter whether first lady Kim Jung-sook paid with cash or card in buying clothes at her own expense.” The presidential office made the remarks in response to the controversy over the first lady's alleged purchases of apparel using the special activity expense fund, which is allotted to some government agencies. The office then refused to disclose the details of the fund's use, saying, “It is the government's common principle to keep the details private.”
The essence of the controversy over the first lady's wardrobe lies in the special activity fund. Earlier this month, Cheong Wa Dae rejected a court ruling that the presidential office should disclose information on its off-the-record expenses related to the first lady's clothing costs, saying that it “contains sensitive issues, including national security.” Afterward, the issue degenerated into peripheral problems, such as the prices of clothes and purchasing methods. The special activity fund saga, the essence of the matter, is now taking a back seat.
It is hard to understand why Cheong Wa Dae linked the first lady's clothing purchases to national security. It is irrational for the opposition parties, including the People Power Party (PPP), to blur the core issue of the problem by taking issue with trivial matters. If the presidential office is free from suspicion, it has no reason to refuse to disclose details regarding its use of the special activity expense fund. The longer the presidential office sticks to nondisclosure, the deeper the public's suspicions will become regarding the expenses allotted to institutions such as the prosecution, the national spy agency and other agencies dealing with intelligence.
The amount of special activity expenses has decreased since scandals arose about their abuse under the Park Geun-hye administration. However, spending still amounts to about 240 billion won ($197 million) a year involving 18 government offices, excluding the National Intelligence Service.
It is desirable to transparently publicize its usage, with the exclusion of matters involving secret purposes, including national security, to avoid suspicions about the abuse or misuse of the fund. It is also necessary to replace many special activity expenses with business promotion costs that require disclosure if these government activities do not require confidentiality.