The Gangwon-do Council and city and county councils, which were launched in July of last year, held the ’19th Gangwon Development Council One Mind Grand Festival’ in October of last year. It was a place for the newly elected members of the local council to strengthen harmony. The first day of the event was attended by performances and dinner, and the second day was followed by sports events.
Various events were held at the gym, including ‘Romance Dodgeball’, ‘One Mind Group Jumping Rope’, ‘ Shoe Archery’, and ‘Special Self-Governing Province Surfing’.
However, if you look at the video of the event at the time, members of each city and county council were sitting side by side wearing matching clothes. Each Congress participated in this event wearing matching uniforms to promote business.
There were 7 places where group uniforms were tailored for this event, and 2 places where they were made for the purpose of ‘promotion of legislative activities’.
The cost of buying a group uniform per person ranged from 340,000 won to 130,000 won.
23 million won was spent on clothes for nine city and county councils.
In related parliamentary documents, it is written that “we want to purchase for team unity and harmony.” I could also hear answers saying, “It is important to show unity and neatness” when lawmakers attend events.
■ Leave the ‘free congressional parking lot’ and pay parking tickets?
Last year, the Yanggu County Council purchased a year’s worth of parking tickets for seven members. It was a parking ticket at a public parking lot in Yanggu-eup. The payment was made as a business promotion fee. 5 people with 90,000 won bills, 50% reduction in hybrid vehicles, 35,000 won for 2 people. By the way, the Yanggu-gun Council parking lot is free. Besides, it’s in town. I left the free Congress parking lot and bought a parking ticket for another public parking lot.
A citizen of Yanggu-gun who heard this story criticizes it like this. “Isn’t it budgetary? I think it’s a huge contradiction if we cut off their private parking tickets with the national budget.”
Last year, the reporter received a text message from the Wonju City Council. It was a congratulatory message for the opening of the Wonju City Council.
I called the office and inquired.
“I received a congratulatory text message. Do you usually hold an opening celebration? This is the first time I’ve heard of it.”
“Yes, we proceed.”
Even at the end of the year, a text message came. This time it was a year-end celebration. A total of 10 million won was spent on banquet hall rental and food for both events. I looked for a place where the opening ceremony and year-end party were held in a separate venue like this. There wasn’t a single place. It was the only one among 18 city and county councils. Most of them ended with a meeting. Regarding this, the Wonju City Council said, “It’s the way the event has been done before,” and said, “We plan to hold a year-end banquet at the end of this year.”
■ Highly priced commendations to fellow lawmakers and retired employees who have “great contributions”… Even a business trip to celebrate the promotion,
the Yeongwol County Council gave an achievement award to a member of the council last year. The prize was a 200,000 won set of Korean beef purchased for business promotion. ‘Exciting legislative activities’ and ‘military government inquiry and administrative affairs audit’ were cited as merits. However, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security allows lawmakers to receive gifts of encouragement only when there is objective evidence of merit, including legislation and awards.
Business promotion expenses can also be used to encourage카지노 employees. This includes ‘highly meritorious’ retirees.
The Jeongseon County Council gave 1.6 million won worth of encouragement to four retired public officials last year. A set of 200,000 won worth of tableware was purchased under the name of the chairman, and a set of silver spoons worth 180,000 won was purchased under the name of the vice chairman, and two were given to each person in duplicate. After all, it was for the reason that “the merit is great.”
There was also a council where the chairman of the city council and 11 office workers visited and encouraged me when I was promoted. It is the Taebaek City Council. In the details of the use of business promotion expenses, the details of the execution of the ‘regional discussion meeting’ stood out. It is for outdoor use. It was a special case, and the place of payment for business promotion was Jeonju.
The name of the business trip that day was ‘regional development strategy discussion’. However, the content was slightly different from the title.
At the Administrative Training Institute in Wanju, Jeollabuk-do, 9 people who were promoted to the 5th grade of Taebaek City are receiving training, and it was a business trip to encourage them. It was said that 11 people, including lawmakers and staff, traveled by government car and had a meeting at a restaurant in Jeonju. There was only one place that had an official schedule, this restaurant.
So I asked the question again. Did you meet or hold a meeting with Jeonju City, the Jeonju City Council, or other organizations in the Jeonju area?
The answer came back like this. “Other local governments and city and county councils all go on business trips outside the jurisdiction to encourage promoted candidates.” An explanation of the normal scope of work was also added. However, he declined an official interview.
The next part will tell you why some of these local councils’ business promotion expenses are not being improved, and why there are no alternatives.