Park Jin-young receives 'caution' from National Assembly over personal activities during US business trip

Park Jin-young, chairman of the Popular Culture Exchange Committee, has received a "caution" from the National Assembly over personal activities he carried out during an official government trip to the United States last year.

According to the Popular Culture Exchange Committee and other sources, the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee issued the caution to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism at a plenary session held Wednesday.

The committee said private-sector members on official overseas trips should "clearly distinguish between official government schedules and any schedules related to personal matters or their affiliated companies."

Park visited New York and Los Angeles from Nov. 13 to Nov. 23 last year, an eight-night, 11-day trip. The itinerary included meetings related to "Phenomenon," a large-scale K-pop festival.

Of that period, the officially funded portion covered Nov. 13 through Nov. 18 — five nights and six days — with travel expenses reimbursed by the government. Park remained in the United States for personal activities after his official duties concluded.

Following the National Assembly's caution, the Popular Culture Exchange Committee support team said in a statement that "all matters related to the trip, including travel expense disbursements and schedule arrangements, were handled lawfully in accordance with relevant laws and regulations," adding that "all costs incurred during the latter, personal portion of the trip — including the return flight — were borne entirely by the chairman himself."

The support team also said that, as a non-standing private-sector member, Park was not required under the rules to seek prior approval for changes to his personal schedule or a delayed return after the conclusion of his official duties.

It added that the committee "understands the caution was issued not because of any legal violation, but out of a commitment to manage similar activities more strictly and transparently than the law requires, given the high level of public interest and the economic impact associated with the committee's activities linked to the trip."