Accompanying the spouse of the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court on an overseas business trip… Constitutional Court explains ‘previous practice’

Attendance at the General Assembly of the World Conference on Constitutional Justice... Constitutional Court: “Accompanying spouses from before”

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Bae-eum = It was revealed that Kim Sang-hwan, Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, spent about 10 million won on travel expenses for his spouse who accompanied him on a business trip to Madrid, Spain in October last year.

According to data submitted by the Constitutional Court to the office of People Power Party Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun on the 3rd, Director Kim visited Madrid, Spain for a week starting on October 26 to attend the general meeting of the World Conference on Constitutional Justice last year.

A total of six people accompanied the schedule, including Director Kim and his wife, Judge Kim Hyeong-du, Chief of Staff to the President of the Constitutional Court, a constitutional researcher, and an investigator.

The budget used by the Constitutional Court for business trip expenses was 58,219,000 won, of which 10,313,000 won was used for Director Kim's spouse's travel expenses.

Director Kim’s travel expenses amounted to 13,368,000 won.

At the time, the Spanish Constitutional Court sent an invitation and informed that "each delegation may consist of up to four people, including accompanying persons and security personnel."

An official from the Constitutional Court explained, "In the past, spouses have always accompanied people when attending the General Assembly of the World Constitutional Court. We also received approval from the organizers to add two people. In Europe, same-sex marriages are often recognized, so we used the expression 'accompanying person' instead of 'spouse.'"

The Constitutional Court also added that it invites four people to the General Assembly every year, but if a regular member of the Venice Committee, a constitutional advisory body, attends, two additional people will accompany them.

It is said that two additional researchers were added as Judge Kim Hyeong-du accompanied the Venice Commission as a full member.

The General Assembly of the Constitutional Court is held every three years. The next general meeting will be held in Cairo, Egypt in 2028.