Court: "Presidential Office Must Disclose Haeundae Raw Fish Restaurant Dinner Expenses"

Last April, a court ruled that the Presidential Office must disclose the dinner expenses for a private dinner held by President Yoon Seok-yeol at a sashimi restaurant in Haeundae, Busan.

The Seoul Administrative Court Administrative Division 2 (Presiding Judge Shin Myung-hee) ruled on the 8th in favor of the plaintiff in a lawsuit filed by lawyer Ha Seung-soo, co-representative of the civic group 'Catch the Tax Thieves,' against the Presidential Secretariat for refusing to disclose information.

On April 6 last year, President Yoon visited Busan to support the bid for the '2030 World Expo' and held a private dinner with metropolitan leaders and cabinet members. Attendees included Han Dong-hoon, Emergency Committee Chairman of the People Power Party (then Minister of Justice), and Jang Je-won, a member of the People Power Party. A controversy arose when President Yoon was seen greeting attendees lined up in a row in front of the sashimi restaurant.

Lawyer Ha requested disclosure of the amount spent and the party responsible for the expenses at the dinner, but when the Presidential Office refused, he filed an administrative lawsuit. Ha stated, "Since the president's schedule and movements were all public, there is no reason to withhold information related to the dinner expenses," and called the ruling "a natural decision."