The Office of the President announced today (30th) that it does not have any information on the protocol expenses of former President Moon Jae-in and his wife, Kim Jung-sook, and cannot disclose related data.
The President's office revealed this through the reason for appeal submitted to the 7th administrative department of the Seoul High Court on the 17th.
The first trial of the appeals court in this case will be held on the 15th of next month.
Previously, in March 2019, a civic group filed a lawsuit against the chief of staff for the disclosure of the cost of clothing, shoes, and accessories for former President Moon and his wife.
On February 10, the court of first instance ruled in favor of the plaintiff in this lawsuit, known as the so-called 'Mrs.
Some predicted that after the change of government, the Yoon Seok-yeol government's presidential office could withdraw the previous government's appeal and disclose related information.
However, the current president's office has made a policy of maintaining the appeal.
It was conveyed with the intention of deciding whether or not to disclose information after receiving at least the judgment of the second trial, which is the actual trial.
The President's office said in a recent appeal statement that it "does not hold or manage any information" about the amount of the government's budget for the protocol expenses of former President Moon and his wife and the daily expenditure performance.
At the same time, he added, “Even if the information was held and managed at the time of the judgment of the first trial, it would have been transferred to the Presidential Archives, so it is not currently held and managed.”
This is also an explanation that is in line with the previous statement by the Blue House of the Moon Jae-in administration, "Mrs. Kim Jeong-sook has never used the national budget for the purpose of purchasing clothes.
The President's office said that it could not disclose the details of the Moon Jae-in government's special activity expenses, which the first trial ordered to disclose, saying, "All have been transferred to the Presidential Archives."
A key official in the presidential office said in a phone call, "Disclosure of special activity expenses must be made according to standards and principles."
An official from the Korea Taxpayers Federation, who filed the lawsuit, said in a phone call, "We are adjudicating a constitutional complaint against the related law to seal information on special activity expenses as presidential records."
(Photo = National Assembly photographers, Yonhap News)