National Assembly Steering Committee Announces Budget Cuts for Presidential Office Special Activity Expenses and 'Kim Yeo-sa's Signature'

The National Assembly's Steering Committee held a plenary meeting on the 19th to review the budget proposals for affiliated agencies, including the Presidential Office and the National Human Rights Commission.

The opposition parties, including the Democratic Party of Korea, announced plans to cut the budgets for special activity expenses of the Presidential Office and the Security Office, while the ruling party opposed, accusing the opposition of holding the budget hostage through their numerical superiority.

Earlier, the government finalized next year's budget at 677.4 trillion won, a 3.2% increase from this year. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party has announced plans to cut up to 6 trillion won, including budgets related to the President and First Lady. In particular, projects related to First Lady Kim Geon-hee are expected to face significant cuts. The so-called "First Lady Kim's budget," including 790 billion won for suicide prevention and "mental health support projects," and 350 billion won for the law to end dog meat consumption, are also targets for reduction.

Budgets for power institutions such as the Presidential Office are also likely to be reduced. The Democratic Party plans to completely cut special activity expenses and business promotion expenses of the Presidential Office and the Ministry of Justice, and to reduce budgets of other ministries by more than 50% across the board.

Park Chan-dae, Chairman of the National Assembly Steering Committee, is talking with Park Sung-jun, opposition party secretary, at the full meeting of the Steering Committee at the National Assembly on the 19th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

The opposition also continued inquiries regarding the Presidential Security Service's excessive response controversy. Democratic Party lawmaker Lee So-young asked Human Rights Commission Chairman Ahn Chang-ho, "Are you aware that a reporter covering President Yoon's Taereung CC golf course was confiscated of their mobile phone by security personnel while filming golf scenes outside the golf course fence and was subsequently booked by the police?"

Chairman Ahn replied, "I have not been able to confirm this, so it is difficult for me to comment here." Steering Committee Chair Park Chan-dae pointed out to Chairman Ahn, "You should answer here; it is inappropriate to say that you find it difficult to speak at this meeting."

The Steering Committee also plans to discuss the issue of filing charges against First Lady Kim Geon-hee for failing to appear as a witness at the National Assembly audit and for disobeying the accompanying order. Previously, on the 1st, during the National Assembly audit of the Presidential Office, the opposition-led committee issued an accompanying order after First Lady Kim, who was summoned as a witness by the opposition, failed to appear.

If charges are filed against First Lady Kim, it will be the second prosecution related to this year's audit following the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.