Chairperson Park Jin-Young of the Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange's trip to the United States in November last year is stirring controversy. The Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange is a body created by President Lee Jae-myung and is directly attached to the president. Co-chair Park Jin-Young receives treatment equivalent to a ministerial rank.
The issue is that Chairperson Park's U.S. trip mixed official duties with personal or affiliated-company schedules. The trip, for which Chairperson Park's travel expenses were paid, ran for six days and five nights from Nov. 13 to 18 last year, covering New York and Los Angeles. The taxpayer-funded travel expense was 13 million won.
However, the trip report submitted by Chairperson Park lists the travel period through Nov. 23, totaling 11 days and eight nights. According to the National Assembly and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), Park carried out official duties through Nov. 18 and handled personal business afterward. Park reportedly paid out of pocket for expenses after the 18th and for the return flight. The support team of The Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange said the matter was handled lawfully in accordance with customary statutes and regulations.
The National Assembly reached a different conclusion. The Culture. Sports. and Tourism Committee, the competent standing committee, issued a "caution" to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the responsible ministry, saying, "When a civilian member travels abroad on official duty, clearly separate official schedules from personal or affiliated-company schedules."
◇ During the official trip, joint girl group "GIRLSET" released a single
The problem is not the post-18th schedule that Park says was covered personally, but whether Park in fact conducted only "official" duties during Nov. 13–18. At the settlement of account subcommittee of the Special Committee on Budget & Accounts held on the 3rd, disclosure of Chairperson Park's specific itinerary only intensified the controversy.
According to Chairperson Park's trip report obtained by ChosunBiz, Park met Republic Records CEO Monte Lipman and Republic Records COO Avery Lipman from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 14 last year. The work noted in the report was "planning a mega event, discussing local media strategies and cooperation plans, etc."
But coincidentally, on the same day, JYP Entertainment, where Chairperson Park serves as head, and U.S. label Republic Records released a new single by the girl group "GIRLSET," launched through an audition project. Republic Records is also in charge of GIRLSET's U.S. distribution.
Yoo Sang-beom, chair of the settlement of account subcommittee, said, "On Nov. 14, he met the head of Republic Records, and coincidentally that day the jointly formed girl group released an album. It is inevitable people will suspect whether he went for official business or to commemorate the album release of a girl group he is nurturing," adding, "I don't think the National Assembly's criticism is inappropriate."
GIRLSET was active during Chairperson Park's U.S. trip, appearing on FOX LA on Nov. 15 for a live performance, among other activities. During the official trip, on Nov. 17, Park posted on social media (SNS) to promote GIRLSET's activities.
◇ Private schedules during official trips are grounds for discipline
If a public official fails to carry out official schedules during an official trip and instead handles personal business, they face strict disciplinary action. Such cases are uncovered every year without letup.
The National Assembly does not deny that Chairperson Park is working to ensure the success of the K-Culture Festival. But the Assembly's position is that Park cannot be the exception. One lawmaker who attended the settlement subcommittee said, "Even if we may seem nitpicky and frustrating to some, the settlement subcommittee is where we scrutinize whether government funds were used appropriately," adding, "We're not nitpicking the effort to promote K-pop globally; it's only natural to examine whether government funds were used properly and take appropriate action if there's a problem."
Although Chairperson Park works part-time and does not receive a salary, Park already enjoys a post equivalent to a ministerial rank. On Aug. 1, Park appeared on an entertainment program aired on MBC, showing a visit to the Blue House. Park exchanged a casual "wassup, bro" greeting with Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik, seen as the No. 1 figure in the Lee Jae-myung administration, and also showed an easy rapport with Minister Chae Hwi-young of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST).
A corporate government-relations manager said, "Just being able to interact freely with a key figure in the administration and the minister overseeing the company's core business area gives JYP Entertainment a kind of clout money can't buy," adding, "The notion that he's someone working for free is out of touch with reality."