'Kim Jeong-sook In-flight Meal Companion' Go Min-jung: "I Ate It Too... No Particularly Remarkable Memory"

"Frustrated Because It Cannot Be Proven Without a Photo"

Democratic Party lawmaker Ko Min-jung commented on the controversy surrounding First Lady Kim Jung-sook's in-flight meals during her trip to India, stating that she was on the same flight but did not eat any extraordinary food. Kim, the wife of former President Moon Jae-in, has faced criticism from the ruling party amid allegations of so-called 'luxurious in-flight meals,' with reports claiming that the meal expenses alone amounted to 62.92 million won during her solo visit to India.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 6th, Ko appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' and, when asked about the in-flight meals, said, "I have no memory of eating anything special or extraordinary," adding, "I tried to find photos to prove this, but there were no such records." She accompanied Kim as a Blue House deputy spokesperson during Kim's visit to India in November 2018.

She continued, "Since Air Force One and Two, the presidential aircraft, are secret spaces, it was customary not to take photos inside," and added, "I asked several people, but no one had any photos, so there is a frustrating inability to prove it."

Ko pointed out, "It would be good if Korean Air or Representative Bae Hyun-jin, who raised the issue, could provide proof," and said, "If they can prove what was eaten and what expenses were incurred on the plane that led to in-flight meal costs exceeding 60 million won, I will testify to each item." She emphasized, "At that time, reporters, including news and video journalists, accompanied the trip, so there was no structure in which Blue House staff could collude."

Regarding the controversy over the scheduling of Kim's visit to the Taj Mahal, Ko expressed discomfort, saying, "Articles keep coming out based on anonymous Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism employees, and I think this shows that the Yoon Seok-youl administration's systems are completely collapsing."

Ko noted that the schedules for overseas trips of heads of state are always fluid and said, "If President Yoon Seok-youl or Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials come forward and explain that 'this is how official visits usually are,' all concerns would be resolved."

This luxury in-flight meal controversy began after People Power Party lawmaker Bae Hyun-jin revealed that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism had signed a private contract worth 236.7 million won with Korean Air for Kim Jung-sook's India trip in November 2018.