Constitutional Court President Kim Sang-hwan’s spouse accompanied him to Madrid last October for the World Conference on Constitutional Justice, with the court spending 10.313 million won on the spouse’s travel expenses. Documents submitted to People Power Party Representative Yoon Sang-hyun showed that the six-person trip cost 58.219 million won in total. The court said the spouse’s participation followed established practice, that the host approved the additional participants and that two other officials joined separately because Justice Kim Hyung-doo attended as a full member of the Venice Commission. The issue follows earlier controversy over former National Election Commission Chairperson Rho Tae-ak’s overseas travel with his spouse. Kim was appointed a justice in 2018 under the Moon Jae-in administration and became Constitutional Court president last July after being appointed by President Lee Jae Myung.