Ex-educaiton minister`s pork-barrel budgets

Around the Teachers` Day (May 15) in 2008, then Education Minister Kim Do-yeon and other senior Education Ministry officials visited their respective alma maters to offer them donations ranging from 5 million won (4,158 U.S. dollars) to 20 million won (16,611 dollars). The public opinion, however, seethed over the "good deeds." The total amount of 75 million won (62,292 dollars) promised by the 10 officials including the minister was not to come from their pockets but from special grants that were part of the state education budget. After all, the officials attempted to do their alma maters a favor with taxpayers` money.

If there was a sport event for "demonstrate benevolence with taxpayers` money," such officials would not even have medals in sight. Former Education Minister Hwang Woo-yea secured 91 million won (75,581 dollars) in special grants for his electoral constituency in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon just before he retired from the position to support seven projects including the construction of a dormitory and multi-purpose hall at some schools in the area. Such a behavior looks even cheekier amid an ongoing controversy over education budgets for free childcare services for children at ages 3 to 5.

The education ministry`s special grants account for 4 percent of grants for regional education, amounting to 1.44 trillion won (1.2 billion dollars) this year. The grants are intended as money reserved for regional education projects or disasters. However, disputes over the use of the funds often emerge. As government ministries can use special grants without having to seek parliamentary approval, the money is sometimes used arbitrarily by ministers or affected by influence peddling by political bigwigs. In a typical case, Byun Yang-kyun, a chief policy adviser for President Roh Moo-hyun in 2007, put pressure on the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs to provide 1 billion won (830,565 dollars) in special grants for a project to renovate a Buddhist temple, which was close to him.

Why should the precious taxpayers` money be wasted by ministers or lawmakers who attempt to take the credits for the money used? Although it is imperative to reform the special grants system, a bill calling for reducing the education ministry`s special grants to 3 percent of the regional education grants is pending in the National Assembly. Worse yet, when there are media reports criticizing lawmakers for using all kinds of measures to secure budgets for their own constituencies, they use the articles as proof of how hard they worked to get the money. Former Education Minister Hwang has fully displayed his ability to get pork-barrel budgets for his constituency.

mskoh119@donga.com