대통령 배우자 명품백 수수를 둘러싼 법적 쟁점 = Legal Issues Regarding the Luxury Bag Received by the President's Spouse

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, through a plenary committee meeting, closed the case on June 10, 2024, citing that the acceptance of the luxury bag by the president's spouse was not related to the president's official duties and that Pastor Choi, being a foreigner, was not subject to the Anti-Graft Act. Additionally, it was argued that even if it was recognized as related to official duties, the luxury bag would be considered a presidential archive, thus constituting a lawful acceptance of valuables.
However, the decision by the Commission was incorrect for the following reasons. First, the Commission has long established that when a foreigner gives valuables to a public official within the territory of the Republic of Korea, the Anti-Graft Act applies. Furthermore, excluding the spouse of a public official from the scope of the Anti-Graft Act due to the absence of specific punishment provisions directly contradicts Constitutional Court precedents.
Second, the luxury bag received by the president's spouse cannot be considered a presidential archive. According to case law, only items produced by a presidential archive-creating agency qualify as presidential archives, and no agency has produced documentation designating the luxury bag as a presidential archive.
Third, the participation of the Chairperson and three Vice-Chairpersons of the Commission in the plenary committee decision to close the case regarding the president's spouse's acceptance of the luxury bag constitutes a conflict of interest under the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act. The Commission is a central administrative agency, and the president, as the head of the government, holds administrative Supervisory authority over it according to the Government Organization Act.