Former National Election Commission Chairperson Roh Tae-ak was found to have been accompanied by a spouse on three overseas trips during the tenure. In particular, it was revealed that the spouse expense was also paid from the commission's budget.
According to the "Overseas business trip plan for consultations on exchange and cooperation with overseas election management bodies," submitted by Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Yang Bu-nam from the National Election Commission on the 17th, the former chairperson visited Germany and Estonia with a spouse for nine days and seven nights in Nov. 2024. The trip cost about 71.94 million won. It was reported that the commission's budget covered all items, including airfare, rail fare, per diem, and contingency funds.
Also, according to the "Overseas business trip plan to advance the election system and enhance international networks" submitted by the National Election Commission to lawmaker Yang, Chairperson Roh visited Copenhagen, Denmark, and Stockholm, Sweden, for 10 days and eight nights in Nov. last year. That trip also proceeded as a "spouse-accompanied" visit. About 90.53 million won spent on the trip was paid from the commission's budget.
The National Election Commission reported to lawmaker Yang that when the former chairperson traveled with a spouse to Sydney and Canberra, Australia, and Wellington and Auckland, New Zealand, on Dec. 2–10, 2022, under the pretext of "gathering opinions on the election and political system and evaluating overseas voting," it was also with a spouse.
However, the National Election Commission did not include the phrase "spouse-accompanied" in the post-trip reports released externally. The commission said, "Because it is necessary to consider protocol commensurate with the status and role as head of a constitutional institution, we budgeted for the spouse from the outset during the budgeting process."