Ruling party whip apologizes over free hotel accommodation from Korean Air

Rep. Kim Byung-kee, floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), apologized Tuesday over revelations that he had used free hotel accommodation provided by Korean Air Co., the country's flag carrier, in the past. In a statement, Kim said he would exercise greater caution in his conduct in the future and added that he would immediately return the accommodation costs. The apology came after a local daily reported that Kim used a free hotel accommodation invitation from Korean Air in November last year, receiving rooms and services reportedly worth about 1.6 million won (US$1,080). At the time, Kim was a member of the National Assembly's political affairs committee, which had jurisdiction over issues related to the then pending merger between Korean Air and rival Asiana Airlines Inc. Kim, however, argued that there was a significant difference between the value of the accommodation cited in the report and the actual cost. The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) criticized Kim's past acceptance of the accommodation. The PPP claimed that the country's anti-graft law bans the receipt of