Mayor Anthony Williams’ trip to South Korea will be largely financed by the city of Seoul despite the fact that on two occasions the mayor’s office said the financing was coming from a group of local Korean business leaders.
On June 2, Mayor Williams issued a press release stating that “the trip is being paid for by the Korean American Business Association of Greater Washington DC.”
Vincent Morris, the mayor’s spokesman, said Tuesday that the business association is paying for the five-day trip, “fortunately at no cost to taxpayers.”
But Association President Gary Cha said Tuesday that his association was only providing “the bare necessities” for the mayor’s trip: $5,160 for three international plane tickets.
The mayor left Wednesday and will return Sunday. While in South Korea, he will be finalizing a sister-city agreement between Seoul and the District.
Cha said the mayor and his group will be staying at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul. According to the hotel’s Web site, rooms range from $179 to $369 per night.
Cha emphasized the importance of Seoul’s “reserve fund for special guests,” and mentioned that the Seoul mayor’strip to Washington in April was not paid for by the District, a fact confirmed by Sharon Gang, another Williams assistant.
Cha said “it was rude,” and said he “didn’t want to ask too much of the Seoul government” in return.
Gang confirmed Wednesday that KABA is only providing airfare, and said that “the rest of the trip is being paid for by the Seoul city government.”
“Details” the press release failed to mention included the Seoul government’s financing of the lodging, meals, transportation and possibly security expenses for the mayor, his wife and Julie Koo, deputy director of Asian Pacific Islander affairs, on their journey.
– Lauren Grover and Michael Neibauer contributed to this report.
