According to the travel records of former National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, released by People Power Party lawmaker Joo Jin-woo on the 21st, it was revealed that former Speaker Woo was accompanied by his spouse on every single one of his 14 overseas trips taken during his tenure. [Photo=Yonhap News]

As former National Election Commission (NEC) Chairperson Noh Tae-ak has been subjected to a compulsory investigation (search and seizure) by a joint investigation team over his spouse’s accompaniment on overseas trips, there is growing pressure within political circles for former National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik to be investigated with the same level of rigor.

According to the travel records of former Speaker Woo, released by People Power Party lawmaker Joo Jin-woo on the 21st, it was revealed that he was accompanied by his spouse on all 14 overseas trips taken during his tenure.

The total budget spent on these trips amounted to 8.287 billion won, with an average cost of approximately 592 million won per trip.

The core of this controversy lies in the fact that judicial authorities have already initiated a full-scale investigation, including search and seizure, against former Chairperson Noh on charges of occupational embezzlement regarding his spouse’s accompaniment on official trips.

In the case of former Chairperson Noh, he became the subject of an investigation due to suspicions of utilizing approximately 90.53 million won in state funds for his spouse to accompany him on three overseas trips during his tenure.

While the NEC stated it was a "matter of protocol for the head of a constitutional institution" and expressed an intent to return the funds to the state, the legal community and opposition parties argue that using budget funds without a clear public role for the spouse constitutes clear occupational embezzlement and criminal activity.

Political figures are emphasizing the urgency and justification for an investigation, noting that former Speaker Woo's case significantly exceeds that of former Chairperson Noh in terms of both frequency (14 trips) and total budget scale (8.287 billion won).

Lawmaker Joo Jin-woo asserted the need for fairness in the application of the law, stating, "Former Chairperson Noh was subjected to a search and seizure for the same charges," and added, "Former Speaker Woo's trips accompanied by his spouse cannot be an exception, and a compulsory investigation, including a prompt search and seizure, must be initiated."

Under current civil servant travel regulations, the support for travel expenses for a high-ranking official's spouse is strictly conditional upon "accompaniment for the performance of official duties." The expenditure can only be justified if a public role is proven, such as an official invitation from the host country’s head of state or a clear "diplomatic program for spouses."

However, the prevailing view in the legal community is that if the circumstances behind the spouse—who is not a public official—accompanying all 14 trips and their specific public contributions remain unproven, it is difficult to avoid charges of occupational embezzlement and the squandering of taxpayer money hidden behind the guise of "custom."

As the case against former Chairperson Noh has established a judicial standard for strict handling of spouse-accompanied official travel, attention is now focused on whether investigative agencies will proceed with a swift compulsory investigation into the details of former Speaker Woo’s 8.2-billion-won overseas travel expenditures and whether his spouse actually performed any official duties.