There
are some lawmakers that disappointed citizens from the beginning of the New
Year. In addition to passing the appropriation bill after the year is over, the
nine lawmakers of the Special Committee on Budget
and Accounts left for a touristic overseas business trip the very next day.
Although they apologized for their untimely and causeless trip, the problem of
touristic overseas business trips doesn’t seem to get improved at all.
<Source:
Naver Encyclopedia / The above image has no relevance with the article>
In 2011, the Center for Freedom of
Information (CFOI) requested information disclosure about overseas business
trips of lawmakers. Having looked at reports submitted after business trips, the
majority of the reports made it difficult to believe that the schedules they
carried out are related to public duties. Moreover National Assembly Speaker, Park
Hee-tae used 330 million won for his 9 night 11 days trip with tens of
attendants.
We visited the National Assembly at that time
to see materials such as receipts that can be the proof of the budget spent on
diplomatic activities. However, we had to go through a ridiculous experience
since they suddenly changed their words that documentary evidence of budget
spending on diplomatic activities cannot be disclosed. We could receive the
documentary evidence only after sending an official letter that asks the secretary
general for disclosure. On top of spending tens of millions of won, their trick
to keep secret how the money was used fosters a bigger doubt that they might have
not carried out diplomatic activities properly.
Two years later, are diplomatic activities of
lawmakers conducted in an appropriate and transparent way? A request for
information disclosure was made with regard to diplomatic activities of lawmakers
between 2011 and 2013. Having looked at the information disclosed by National
Assembly Secretariat,
<2012 Budget on Assembly’s Diplomatic Business>
Unit: 1 million won
|
Budget
|
Spent
|
Remaining
|
Assembly
|
4,639
|
3,976
|
663
|
– overseas
|
3,396
|
2,889
|
|
– business
|
1,243
|
1,087
|
|
International
|
1,169
|
905
|
|
– overseas
|
813
|
718
|
264
|
– business operation
|
356
|
187
|
|
Total (A+B)
|
5,808
|
4,881
|
927
|
Business |
|||
It was revealed that 4.8 billion won
out of 5.8 billion won was used in 2012 including diplomatic activities of
Assembly members (overseas travel expense + business operation expense) and
international meetings (overseas travel expense + business operation expense).
The business expenses include expenses for
overseas visits, invitation and hosting international meetings and exchange
programs with Assembly Secretariat. They notified that the expense purely used at diplomatic
visits (inc. attendance at international meetings) cannot be disclosed since it
conflicts with their decision of partial disclosure.
The number of cases for diplomatic activities
(diplomatic visits and attendance at international meetings) of Assembly
members is 61 in 2011, 46 in 2012 and 10 by Jan 24, 2013. (The dramatic
decline in diplomatic activities is allegedly due to the general election and
presidential election.)
<2011-2013
Diplomatic Activities of Assembly members>
(diplomatic visits and attendance at
international meetings)
Unit: 1000 won
|
2 0 1 1 |
2 0 1 2 |
||
|
1 |
92,763 |
1 |
54,786 |
|
2 |
48,313 |
2 |
30,893 |
|
3 |
Park National |
3 |
40,271 |
|
4 |
59,449 |
4 |
Park National |
|
5 |
57,995 |
5 |
22,943 |
|
6 |
5,359 |
6 |
63,090 |
|
7 |
59,581 |
7 |
Chung National |
|
8 |
54,691 |
8 |
14,789 |
|
9 |
44,402 |
9 |
33,783 |
|
10 |
58,524 |
10 |
22,854 |
|
11 |
25,677 |
11 |
Chung Ui-hwa Substituting |
|
12 |
75,552 |
12 |
8,702 |
|
13 |
56,338 |
13 |
65,388 |
|
14 |
60,150 |
14 |
18,691 |
|
15 |
Hong National |
15 |
107,699 |
|
16 |
38,416 |
16 |
58,704 |
|
17 |
60,928 |
17 |
59,968 |
|
18 |
Park National |
18 |
48,776 |
|
19 |
76,787 |
19 |
35,980 |
|
20 |
26,315 |
20 |
27,455 |
|
21 |
57,646 |
21 |
13,851 |
|
22 |
127,838 |
22 |
24,213 |
|
23 |
Chung National Assembly Vice Speaker |
23 |
21,010 |
|
24 |
51,591 |
24 |
Chung Substituting |
|
25 |
33,424 |
25 |
36,376 |
|
26 |
18,882 |
26 |
48,099 |
|
27 |
107,129 |
27 |
52,618 |
|
28 |
16,451 |
28 |
Hong Jae-hyung National |
|
29 |
61,392 |
29 |
35,909 |
|
30 |
60,581 |
30 |
67,471 |
|
31 |
55,229 |
31 |
80,171 |
|
32 |
57,989 |
32 |
55,676 |
|
33 |
55,988 |
33 |
47,434 |
|
34 |
Hong Jae-hyung National |
34 |
Lee National |
|
35 |
16,951 |
35 |
Lee Byung-seok National |
|
36 |
Park Hee-tae National |
36 |
69,114 |
|
37 |
17,985 |
37 |
7,404 |
|
38 |
5,912 |
38 |
15,973 |
|
39 |
49,455 |
39 |
16,086 |
|
40 |
40,155 |
40 |
19,508 |
|
41 |
21,297 |
41 |
15,726 |
|
42 |
52,043 |
42 |
Kang National |
|
43 |
9,373 |
43 |
86,325 |
|
44 |
41,837 |
44 |
8,346 |
|
45 |
50,236 |
45 |
25,906 |
|
46 |
18,944 |
46 |
30,284 |
|
47 |
57,566 |
Total |
1,492,272 |
|
48 |
30,712 |
||
|
49 |
32,301 |
2 0 1 3 |
|
|
50 |
85,483 |
||
|
51 |
31,334 |
1 |
30,789 |
|
52 |
2,712 |
||
|
53 |
Park Hee-tae National |
2 |
56,039 |
|
54 |
13,787 |
3 |
75,541 |
|
55 |
25,646 |
4 |
108,044 |
|
56 |
70,188 |
5 |
60,347 |
|
57 |
19,124 |
6 |
54,147 |
|
58 |
80,515 |
7 |
44,156 |
|
59 |
3,420 |
8 |
Lee Byung-seok National |
|
60 |
44,785 |
9 |
94,935 |
|
61 |
42,113 |
10 |
144,426 |
|
Total |
2,469,254 |
Total |
668,424 |
The expenses National Assembly Speaker and Vice Speaker used at diplomatic
activities were excluded in the information provided by the Assembly. That’s
why they could not reveal the total amount of spending on Assembly members’
diplomatic visits (incl. attendance at international meetings)
After we asked the reason of nondisclosure, they answered that the cases
of Prime Mister’s Office and Office of the President were used as reference.
They added that this issue is related to “national security, national defense,
unification and foreign affairs”, which are subjects of nondisclosure according
to Information Disclosure Act, and it has potential to harm national interests when
disclosed.
We
asked again why they disclosed the information two years ago and why the issues
related to national security and foreign affairs are not applicable to other Assembly
members. The person in charge at National Assembly Secretariat
answered that seemingly it was judged by the top that Assembly Speaker and Vice Speaker
have more important schedules in diplomatic activities and now the situation is
different with two years ago. Did
foreign affairs and national security suddenly become more important than 2
years ago? And how can national interests become harmed by disclosing the
budget?
The entire budget used at 54 cases of diplomatic
activities excluding the ones of Assembly Speaker and Vice Speaker from total
61 cases was approximately 2.47 billion won in 2011. In 2012, it was 1.49 billion
won for 38 of 46 cases that was disclosed. By January 2013, the budget was 660
million for 9 of 10 cases that were disclosed. However, it is difficult to
estimate the budget spent on overseas visits of Assembly Speaker and Vice
Speaker since the budget on pure diplomatic visits and attendance at
international meetings (excl. invitation, hosting international meetings and
exchange programs with National Assembly Secretariat) are not disclosed.
<You can zoom in by clicking the image / Diplomatic
activities of Assembly members, please refer to the attached file for details.>
How did Assembly Speaker and Vice Speaker use
the budget that they had to use this type of trick? The Assembly that does not
disclose the information since we posed a problem on former National Assembly
Speaker Park Hee-tae’s 9 night 11 days trip to France with his usage of more
than 300 million won, they do not show any improvements despite of severe public
criticism.
The position of Assembly members is commonly
called as a permanently risk free job and a job of the Gods with all the privileges.
Their privileges and power are given by citizens and therefore eventually those
should be given back to the citizens. The Assembly, one of the most influential
institutions in the nation, is not being transparent
and its members are abusing their power. The Assembly members are still going
to touristic overseas business trips and the Assembly is not transparently disclosing
the relevant budget. A formal objection was currently submitted to National
Assembly Secretariat in order to receive documents about the budget spent on diplomatic
activities of Assembly Speaker and Vice Speakers. We are looking forward to
receiving the answer from the Assembly.
Related articles:
[한겨레- 정보공개센터 공동기획 ②]국회예산은 쌈짓돈 – 해외시찰의 실체
Attached are the disclosed documents.
2012의회외교사업비(정보공개센터).hwp
의회외교활동_현황(2011-2013)(13-7).pdf