'Minds Elsewhere'... 60% of Gyeonggi Province Assembly Members to Travel Abroad Next Month

8 out of 13 Standing Committees... Travel Expenses Alone at Least 320 Million Won

It has been confirmed that over 60% of Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly members, amid recent scandals involving bribery, are planning overseas trips next month.

Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly's New Government Building in Gwanggyo [Photo courtesy of Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly]

According to the deliberation minutes of the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly's Overseas Official Travel Review Committee on the 31st, 8 out of the 13 standing committees have scheduled official overseas trips to take place immediately after the extraordinary session, which runs from the 5th to the 19th of next month.

The Health and Welfare Committee will travel to Spain for a 7-day, 5-night trip from the 23rd to the 29th of next month. The Economy and Labor Committee will visit Singapore and Malaysia for a 7-day, 5-night trip from the 21st to the 27th, two days after the extraordinary session concludes.

Other committees planning overseas trips include the Future Science Cooperation Committee (21st-27th, Singapore, etc.), the Education and Administration Committee (23rd-28th, Singapore), the Agriculture and Marine Affairs Committee (22nd-29th, Japan), the Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee (21st-27th, Japan), the Safety and Administration Committee (23rd-October 1st, Kazakhstan, etc.), and the Women and Family Lifelong Education Committee (details undecided).

Considering the Speaker's trip to China as part of a delegation, 94 out of the 156 Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly members (60.3%) will be absent during the fourth week of September.

The travel expense budget for standing committee overseas trips ranges from a minimum of 35.74 million won to a maximum of 47.28 million won. Assuming the minimum travel expense of 35.74 million won for the Women and Family Lifelong Education Committee, whose travel plans have not yet been approved, the total amount is estimated to be at least 320 million won.

In the case of Committee A, visits to national parks, traditional markets, and lakes occupied most of each day's itinerary during the trip. Committee B also dedicated a full day to visiting a famous cathedral.

Given that 143 out of the 156 provincial assembly members (92%) are currently under police investigation for allegations of inflating airfare expenses during overseas trips until last year, the planned mass overseas travel during the same period is drawing criticism.

In particular, with three incumbent provincial assembly members recently arrested for bribery and one being investigated, concerns about inappropriate conduct are being raised.

Noh Geon-hyung, Secretary-General of the Gyeonggi Province Chapter of the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice, stated, "It is unacceptable that mass overseas trips are being planned with taxpayer money while numerous cases of bribery, accounting irregularities, and sexual harassment are under police investigation." He added, "Assembly members should consider how the citizens view such actions and reflect on their behavior."

One provincial assembly member explained, "Due to the aftermath of the investigation into the December 3rd emergency decree and the fraudulent handling of travel expenses in the first half of this year, overseas trips were postponed, leading to a concentration of travel plans immediately after the extraordinary session next month." Yonhap News