Kim held a tea meeting with external figures at Mangmyoru last September
"Was not strict enough in interpreting related regulations"
The Cultural Heritage Administration issued an apology under the name of the Director of the Royal Tombs and Relics Headquarters regarding First Lady Kim Geon-hee's tea gathering with outsiders at Jongmyo Shrine in Seoul last September.
On the 27th, the Royal Tombs and Relics Headquarters of the Cultural Heritage Administration stated in an apology posted on its website, "We apologize for causing controversy due to an imprecise interpretation of the regulations concerning the use of locations under the 'Regulations on Viewing Palaces and Royal Tombs'." However, the Cultural Heritage Administration did not provide specific details about First Lady Kim's tea gathering, only describing it as "an event held at Mangmyoru of the Jongmyo Management Office under the Royal Tombs and Relics Headquarters on September 3." The Headquarters added, "Furthermore, to prevent such cases from occurring in the future, the Royal Tombs and Relics Headquarters and the Jongmyo Management Office will revise related regulations and do their utmost to ensure there are no disruptions in the preservation and management of cultural heritage."
Earlier, on the 20th, during an emergency inquiry at the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, suspicions of private use related to First Lady Kim's tea gathering at Jongmyo were mentioned multiple times. At that time, Lee Jae-pil, Director of the Royal Tombs and Relics Headquarters, responded to Democratic Party lawmaker Im Oh-kyung's question, "Do you consider First Lady Kim's tea gathering at Jongmyo a state event?" by saying, "I think there is a possibility of personal use." Later, under continued questioning from lawmaker Im about whether it was clearly private use, Director Lee admitted, "It is indeed private use."
According to the 'Regulations on Viewing Palaces and Royal Tombs,' permission from the Director of the Royal Tombs and Relics Headquarters is required to use locations within palaces or Jongmyo Shrine. The Royal Tombs and Relics Headquarters manages major palaces such as Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung, as well as Joseon royal tombs and Jongmyo Shrine. However, as an exception, events hosted or organized by the Cultural Heritage Administration Director or the Royal Tombs and Relics Headquarters Director, visits by heads of state, and government-hosted commemorative events are considered pre-approved.
The Mangmyoru at Jongmyo, where First Lady Kim held the tea gathering, is a place whose name means "a pavilion overlooking Jongmyo." It was a building where the Jongmyo Office, responsible for managing Jongmyo, was located. A 'nmaru' is a type of elevated wooden floor, higher than usual, with three sides open and surrounded by railings, characterized by offering excellent views of the surrounding natural scenery.
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