Woo Sang-ho "Is a Politician's Spouse a Private Citizen?"... Korean Political Commentary Association Discusses 'Legal Status of Presidential Spouses'

With Kim Min-jeon "Legal Basis Needed for Budget Support"
Comprehensive Discussion with Academia and Political Figures Attending

The academic community and political circles debated how to view the legal status of the president's spouse. Former Democratic Party lawmaker Woo Sang-ho stated that institutional measures are needed to regulate the misconduct of the president's spouse and relatives. Kim Min-jeon, a member of the People Power Party, agreed with the argument that the president's spouse should be able to receive budget support from the state based on legal grounds.

The Korean Political Criticism Association and Kyung Hee University's Public Governance Research Institute held their annual academic conference on the afternoon of the 25th at the 'Gwanhun Club Jeongsin Young Fund Hall' in Jongno-gu, Seoul, under the theme "The Legal Status and Governance of the President's Spouse." The second session that day included former lawmaker Woo, lawmaker Kim, former professor Lee Cheol-ho of the Department of Police Administration at Nambu University, Professor Lee Jin-ro of the Department of Liberal Arts at Youngsan University, Professor Chae Jin-won of Kyung Hee University's Public Governance Research Institute, and reporter Yoo Sung-woon of JoongAng Ilbo.

On the afternoon of the 25th, Lee Jin-ro, professor of the Department of Liberal Arts at Yeongsan University, is presiding over the annual academic conference on the topic of "The Legal Status and Governance of the Presidential Spouse" held at the 'Gwanhun Club Jeongsin Young Foundation Hall' in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
Photo by Oh Ji-eun

Former professor Lee, who gave a presentation, said, "As our society has become more complex, the types and roles of the president's spouse have expanded," adding, "As expressed in my paper, the spouse inevitably plays the role of an unofficial close aide." He further argued, "In the United States, there is a legal basis for a special budget exclusively for the First Lady," and "To resolve security issues and ensure transparency, a dedicated organization for the First Lady should be established."

Kim, a Supreme Council member of the People Power Party, said, "I fully agree with the statement that the spouse should receive budget support from the state based on legal grounds," and added, "Although there has been no legal basis in past administrations, it has always been done." He said, "The election law allows only family members to distribute business cards during pre-election campaigns before the official campaign starts," and added, "Since the family participates in the pre-election campaign, they should be treated accordingly after the election." He also noted, "During the election campaign, Kim Geon-hee apologized for plagiarism allegations regarding her thesis, but most of the suspicions were found to be unfounded."

Woo, who has been active in Democratic Party-affiliated parties for over 20 years, mentioned President Yoon Seok-yeol's low approval ratings, saying, "It is unprecedented that the president's approval rating is dropping so rapidly due to issues related to the president's spouse." He continued, "In the past, it was mainly the son who caused problems," and "It has been confirmed that the president's family always becomes a target of lobbying because they can ultimately influence the president." Furthermore, he said, "When I first exercised my nomination rights in a local election, a candidate gave cash to my wife and I returned it," emphasizing, "Is a politician's wife a private individual?"

On the afternoon of the 25th, at the 'Gwanhun Club Jeongsin Young Foundation Hall' in Jongno-gu, Seoul, former Democratic Party lawmaker Woo Sang-ho and People Power Party lawmaker Kim Min-jeon attended the annual academic conference on the topic of 'The Legal Status and Governance of the President's Spouse' and listened to inquiries. / Photo by Oh Ji-eun

Woo said, "Even now, the ruling and opposition parties should agree to create legal and institutional measures that can regulate the misconduct of the president's spouse and relatives in the future, not laws targeting President Yoon's spouse."