Brazen local councilors

When Korea’s democratization brought back local government autonomy in 1991, people were full of hope about civil autonomy and grass-roots democracy. Twenty-two years and several nationwide polls later, most Koreans do not even know the names of their local councilors, however.

Especially dismal is the state of local assemblies, marred by

incessant

trials-and-errors and numerous scandals. Many, if not most, of the nation’s 17 provincial and municipal assemblies have been criticized for having large, extravagant buildings, funding frequent junkets for their members and

tolerat

ing dogfights among them for various privileges and concessions.

According to a government report, 93 percent of the nation’s 855 local councilors were involved in various committees directly related to their assembly posts. Nearly one in every 10 local councilors who served in the fifth-term local assemblies received criminal punishment. Many of these local councilors failed to enact a single ordinance throughout a year.

It is little wonder most local assemblies have refused to adopt codes of conduct

ban

ning all dubious activities, over the past two years.

Astonishingly, they are now even

seek

ing to have legislative assistants paid with taxpayer’s money. Far more surprising is the Park Geun-hye administration, which is about to accept such brazen-faced requests.

In an interview with the Yonhap News Agency, Minister of Security and Public Administration Yoo Jeong-bok stressed the need for local councilors to enhance their expertise to scrutinize and check

massive

provincial and municipal administrations. He is right - in theory. In reality, however, nothing can be further from the truth for the above-mentioned reasons.

Local councilors must remember their roles started as unpaid, honorary positions 22 years ago, and that in most European countries, including Britain, the tradition is still alive. Korea’s local assembly members receive 50-60 million won a year, as much as the average wage of employees at listed companies, although almost all of them have other jobs and work only part-time.

Compare Korea’s local councilors with their Swedish counterparts, who receive no salary and use only public transport but enact about 50 ordinances per councilor every year.

This is why all previous administrations have rejected requests from local assemblies for paid legislative aides and have even brought such cases to courts, which ruled they were incompatible with the law. Minister Yoo must first make it clear whether there are political motives to dominate local politics behind the Park administration’s current moves.

Yoo emphasized he would conduct public hearings and surveys before progressing further. But there’s no need to go to such trouble: just go into the street, grab any passerby and ask them.

This is The Korea Times editorial for Wednesday, April 17, 2013.

※ 다음에 나오는 문제들은 본 사설에 나오는 중요한 어휘들로 구성된 토익, 토플, 텝스 기출 및 예상 문제 입니다.

※ Choose the one word or phrase that best keeps the meaning of the highlighted part.

1. I was ready to take a relaxing nap, but the

noise from outside began to bother me. (2010 국가직 7급)

① unbearable

② constant

③ loud

④ bizarre

2. Some young children will cry when they are rebuked; they cannot

tolerate

criticism. (한국가스공사, 고려대 대학원 유형, 숙명여대 편입 유형, 2003 경찰간부 유형)

① endure

② prophesy

③ convene

④ give up

3. Some conductors

proscribe

sound amplification at their concerts.

① ban

② propose

③ demand

④ permit

4. To

lure

more caring individuals to the field, schools are seeking older students as well as non-science majors. (2005 가톨릭대 편입, 2004 고려대 편입 유형)

① refer

② employ

③ entice

④ transform

5. The chairman of SK Group will be summoned for interrogation over allegations that he

embezzled

a massive amount of company funds.

① inadvertently invested

② took as a bribe

③ illegally confiscated

④ diverted fraudulently

[해설 및 정답]

1. [번역] 나는 편한 낮잠을 한숨 잘 준비가 되어 있었으나 바깥쪽에서 들리는

끊임없는

소음이 나를 괴롭히기 시작했다.

[정답] ②

2. [번역] 일부 어린 아이들은 꾸중을 들으면 울어버린다; 그들은 비판을

참지

못한다.

[정답] ①

3. [번역] 일부 지휘자들은 콘서트를 할 때 음의 증폭장치를

금한다.

4. [번역] 좀 더 관심 있는 사람들을 그 분야로

끌어들이기

위하여, 학교들은 비과학 전공자들뿐만 아니라 나이가 더 든 학생들도 찾고 있다.

[정답] ③

5. [번역] SK그룹 회장은 대규모의 회사자금을

횡령했다는

의혹으로 심문을 받기 위해 소환될 것이다.

[정답] ④