Local Assemblymen Get 35 Percent Raise

Starting next year, the assembly activity salary and other salaries to local assemblymen will rise by approximately 35 percent from 1.7 million won/month to 2.3 million won/month for those in metropolitan councils and from 1.02 million won/month to 1.57 million won/month for other local assemblymen.

On October 22, the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs (MOGAHA) announced its plans to revise the enforcement ordinance to support the pay system as the Local-Government-Act revision in July has scrapped the regulation concerning local assembly posts without pay.

According to the ordinance, in the case of a metropolitan council members, legislative activity pay will rise from 700,000 won/month→1.2 million won/month, and supplementary activity pay will rise from 200,000 won/month→300,000 won/month. But per-session allowance rate will maintain its current level.

For other local assemblymen the pay will rise from 550,000 won/month to 900,000 won/month, and they will adopt the supplementary activity fee system for the first time, allowing an additional 200,000 won/month.

Jong-Hoon Lee taylor55@donga.com