By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
Lawmakers are likely to receive about nine billion won Friday in salaries and allowances for this month, even though they have not worked a single day since the new National Assembly's four-year term began on May 30.
A growing number of voices are calling for the return of the money to state coffers by applying the formula of no work, no pay for the 299 legislators.
Chun Hee-kyung, a member of the civic group ``Citizens United For a Better Society,'' said it does not make sense that lawmakers receive their salaries, while participating in protests against the U.S. beef import deal and boycotting the Assembly.
They have to deal with pending bread-and-butter issues first, she emphasized.
According to the Assembly secretariat, the legislators will take about nine million won per person, plus 23 million won to pay the salaries of secretaries and assistants. The Assemblymen have already received 1.8 million won each last Friday as expenses to operate their offices and vehicles.
As a lawmaker can hire up to six secretaries and assistants, he or she is supposed to spend more than 30 million won to maintain their offices and feed themselves.
Opposition parties have boycotted the legislature, denouncing the ``rough-and-ready'' negotiation over U.S. beef imports.
Given that there are low possibilities of normalizing the Assembly this week, a large amount of taxpayers' money will be poured into pockets of the Assemblymen for being idle.
Four lawmakers, including Lee Han-jeong of the minor opposition Renewal of Korea Party, will also receive salaries even though their legislative activities have been suspended due to ongoing investigations into suspicions regarding false academic credentials and vote-buying.
An official of the secretariat said they can receive the money until they are convicted and stripped of Assembly membership.
Except for the financial support, legislators enjoy a range of privileges. For example, they are immune from prosecution during an Assembly session ― a step to protect their freedom of speech ― and from arrest.
Besides, they can raise funds of up to 150 million won a year to spend on political activities and up to 300 million won when presidential or general elections take place.
As lawmakers have the advantage and receive plenty of allowances without working, people have urged them to voluntarily give back the money to the nation's treasury.