Choi Jae-hyung's Side: "Moon Jae-in Government, Stop Riding on BTS"... Blue House Responds, "Travel Expenses Settled"

Choi Jae-hyung's Side Criticizes President Moon Jae-in Mentioning BTS
"BTS Was Also Called Up Unpaid During 2018 Paris Visit"

Choi Jae-hyung, People Power Party presidential primary candidate. / Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Choi Jae-hyung, a presidential candidate from the People Power Party and former head of the Board of Audit and Inspection, questioned how BTS, who accompanied President Moon Jae-in to the 76th United Nations General Assembly as special presidential envoys, had not received payment for airfare, accommodation, and meals, saying, "How can they be so shameless?"

Earlier on the 30th, some media outlets raised suspicions that BTS, who accompanied President Moon on his trip to New York, did not receive travel expenses such as airfare, accommodation, and meals from the government, sparking a so-called 'passion pay' controversy.

In response, Baek Ji-won, spokesperson for former head of the Board of Audit and Inspection Choi Jae-hyung, issued a statement titled "Moon Jae-in Government Exploiting BTS," claiming, "BTS, who accompanied the president as special envoys, had to continuously attend the schedules of not only President Moon Jae-in but also First Lady Kim Jung-sook and Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hwang Hee for three days, excluding travel and rest time."

Spokesperson Baek emphasized, "This is not the first time the government has mobilized BTS for presidential events without providing travel expenses," adding, "During President Moon Jae-in's 2018 Paris visit, BTS was also called up without pay," and noted, "At that time, Protocol Secretary Tak Hyun-min caused controversy by saying, 'We settled it with the president's watch.'

He continued, "How can they be so shameless, always riding on BTS's glow for image politics? President Moon Jae-in, stop putting your spoon in," and criticized, "Stop exploiting the youth of the Republic of Korea."

Meanwhile, the Blue House rebutted the controversy, stating that the expenses had already been settled through a post-settlement method. The Blue House explained, "Some of the airfare and accommodation costs for the special envoy group who accompanied the president on this trip were processed in a post-settlement format and have already been settled," adding, "This was a matter agreed upon in advance between the government and HYBE (the agency)."