Drive to cut lawmakers’ perks underway

By Kang Hyun-kyung

The good old days are gone. This is what lawmakers have echoed lately as they see their perks showing signs of gradually disappearing.

The drive to reform the “unbridled” National Assembly has gained momentum in political circles.

The ruling and opposition parties have announced a set of measures designed to tighten rules on ethics and voluntarily cut perks previously guaranteed for National Assembly members.

On Tuesday, the ruling Saenuri Party said that it would push for a no-mercy measure for lawmakers responsible for violence in the legislature.

Rep. Kweon Seong-dong said acts of violence could result in a prison sentence. “Depending on a court ruling, it is highly likely that the person in question would lose his or her seat if found to be guilty,” he said.

The ruling party plans to rewrite National Assembly law to instill zero-tolerance for any types of violence in the legislature.

This coincides with its unveiling of a set of measures to prohibit sitting lawmakers from assuming Cabinet positions or making money from other jobs while holding their parliamentary post.

If this is approved, lawmakers will not be able to serve as prime minister or Cabinet ministers, except minister for special affairs, unless they give up their seat in the Assembly.

Lawmakers will also be prohibited from making extra income while in public service. They will be allowed to provide unpaid services.

A lawyer-turned-lawmaker will be prohibited from serving as a paid attorney but could provide legal referral services for free.

Many Saenuri Party lawmakers have complained that the proposed measures will restrict their privileges. Despite their protests, the ruling party is pushing for the steps.

The ruling party said it is seeking the measures to ensure that National Assembly members focus on their own job and are not distracted by other work in the administrative body. It said holding posts in the legislature and the administrative body can blur the line between the two.

The drive to deprive lawmakers of excessive perks is also underway in the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP).

Earlier, it pledged to scrap pension incentives for lawmakers. Under the current law, those who serve as lawmaker for one day or more receive 1.2 million won (approximately $1,000) a month after they turn 65.

Being a lawmaker is much more than serving as a representative of a constituency because of the numerous perks.

Lawmakers are protected from arrest during National Assembly sessions. They enjoy immunity from punishment if their remarks are made as part of their day jobs. It has been common for them to go on luxury foreign trips under the name of parliamentary probes or field trips.

Coupled with the benefits, legislators’ troubled ethics have often drawn criticism.

Lawmakers rarely meet deadlines for budget proposal approval. On Monday, parties agreed to open the National Assembly one month after it was supposed to. No one can punish them for these acts.

This has shaped the public perception that lawmakers are breaking the law. Yet no one can punish them as they are in a position to make and scrap laws.

The unbridled actions of politicians have backfired as the general public tires of them.

Lawmakers are being driven to cut perks and tighten rules on ethics because they know otherwise they will not survive the next election.

The calls to cut their privileges have been growing, especially after the National Assembly saw ugly scenes last year during the ratification of the free trade agreement with the United States.

Although the pact was given the green light, a leftist party lawmaker set off a tear gas canister to try and prevent the pact from being approved. This not only saw the National Assembly plunged into chaos but also made international headlines showing the worst side of domestic politics.