Kim Byung-kee, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, acknowledged allegations that he received an expensive lodging voucher from Korean Air in Nov. last year, saying, "No matter the reason, it was inappropriate." He added, "I will be more careful about my conduct going forward. I will immediately return the lodging cost."
Kim issued this statement via a media notice at about 5:26 p.m. on the 23rd. He released a brief official stance about a day after the first news report was published. This contrasts with the so-called "Coupang luncheon," when controversy flared over a meeting with Coupang ahead of the National Assembly audit, and he released a statement immediately after the report.
Earlier, the Hankyoreh reported that it had confirmed indications that Kim used a hotel lodging invitation from Korean Air in Nov. last year to stay for three days and two nights in a top-tier room and receive services worth about 1.65 million won. According to social media messages between a former aide to Kim and a Korean Air official, on Oct. 30 last year, the aide inquired about a reservation, saying, "It seems the lawmaker received a lodging voucher," and Korean Air replied that a reservation had been completed under Kim's name for a royal suite room.
At the time he used the voucher, Kim was a member of the National Policy Committee, which was handling Korean Air issues such as a mileage integration policy following the Korean Air–Asiana Airlines merger. Under the current Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, receiving money or valuables related to one's duties is prohibited, and even without job relevance, receiving more than 1 million won is not allowed.
Kim disputed that the lodging cost he received was "worth 1.6 million won." He said, "Room rates vary widely," adding, "According to confirmation, as of 2025, the current sale price is in the low-to-mid 300,000 won range per day, including breakfast for two."