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Presidential office unveils offbook gov't fund details for first time

Published: 23 Sep. 2025, 22:03

President Lee Jae Myung holds a senior official meeting at the Presidential Office in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Sept. 18. [YONHAP]

The presidential office announced on Tuesday that it is disclosing the spending details of off-book government funds, which have long been a source of controversy in high-profile political scandals under past administrations, in an effort to enhance public transparency.

The Lee Jae Myung government launched a website showing expense details of "special activity funds," along with expenditures for other operations and specific tasks, the first such disclosure by any government, the presidential office said in a release.

Special activity funds refer to confidential spending of government funds for state affairs, such as diplomacy and national security, and related information on their execution has never been made public.

The dubious nature of the funds sparked controversy under the Park Geun-hye administration in 2018, when three former spy chiefs were tried and later convicted of illegally diverting them to support Park's office. The court ruled they amounted to bribes.

Lee, who took office in June, had pledged to use the funds responsibly and provide proper accountability.

"While the very nature of special activity funds lies in confidentiality, which inevitably limits disclosure, we have decided to release the information in respect of past court rulings and to demonstrate that taxpayers' money is being spent properly," the office said.

Previous administrations only disclosed spending amounts by category and examples of usage, but the Lee government will release daily records to enhance transparency, it said.

But some highly classified matters related to national security will remain undisclosed due to the sensitivity, the office added.

"This unprecedented disclosure will expand the public's right to know, encourage citizens' participation in governance and serve as an important milestone for greater transparency in state administration," it said.

Yonhap