Cheong Wa Dae: "No Separate Culture Ministry Budget for First Lady Kim Hye-kyung"

Cheong Wa Dae has directly refuted allegations that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's budget to support events attended by the first lady has increased under the Lee Jae-myung administration.

In a press notice today (October 22), Cheong Wa Dae stated, "The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism does not have a separate budget for the First Lady," adding, "The First Lady attended cultural events hosted by the ministry."

It emphasized, "K-culture is spreading worldwide," noting, "The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Korean Cultural Centers abroad plan events taking local demand into account, and unlike in the past, not only participants but also audience numbers are growing significantly."

In particular, it cited as an example that the audience for the 'K-Pop Contest' in New Delhi, India, surged from around 800 people last year to 3,000 this year.

First Lady Kim attended the contest event in April during President Lee's overseas tour to India.

Cheong Wa Dae also added, "To spread K-culture, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism plans overseas events in consultation with host countries alongside local diplomatic missions," explaining, "The First Lady attended such events when feasible, such as during official tour schedules."

In essence, First Lady Kim Hye-kyung attended events planned and hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, meaning no separate budget was earmarked for her, and the increase in related budgets was driven by the growing global interest in 'K-culture.'

Earlier, a media outlet reported that from September last year to July this year, 1.411 billion won was spent to support events attended solely by First Lady Kim Hye-kyung without President Lee Jae-myung, marking a significant increase compared to support budgets for former first ladies Kim Keon-hee and Kim Jung-sook.

(Photo: Cheong Wa Dae Press Corps, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.