By Kim Hyo-jin
The National Assembly is set to reduce lawmakers’ perks that have faced growing public indignation.
A parliamentary committee under National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun has finalized a draft of how to curb lawmakers’ privileges after a three-month review, an official said.
Included are cutting allowances, limiting immunity from apprehension, and restricting hiring family members as parliamentary staff.
The draft will be delivered to the National Assembly’s steering committee to be made into a bill after being reported to Chung, Oct. 17, the official said.
The speaker has led the move to reduce the privileges of lawmakers since he took the post in June, claiming that it will help alleviate the deep-rooted mistrust the public harbors toward the legislature.
He launched a committee with 15 external advisors in July to push for reforms of customs or systems involved with assemblymen.
The rival parties have agreed to the move amid the worsening public view of the Assembly, giving momentum for the draft to be legalized.
If enacted as stated in the draft, lawmakers’ allowances will be reduced. The committee recommended that expenses for their legislative activity ― 3.13 million won ($2,800) a month ― and special activity provided during the regular session of the National Assembly ― 30,000 won a day ― be erased. The expenses have been considered as non-taxable income.
“We should get rid of the content for fairness between lawmakers and the public,” said a committee member.
A lawmaker receives an average of 10.31 million won ($9,240) a month with an additional 7.7 million won ($6,900) for managing their office and vehicles, according to Assembly officials.
The committee also proposed constraining immunity from apprehension _ a parliamentary right stated in the Constitution.
A court must seek the National Assembly’s consent for lawmakers’ arrests as they have immunity from being charged during their term without parliamentary endorsement.
Under the current law, an arrest motion needs to be put to a vote within 72 hours of being reported to the Assembly, or it will be automatically scrapped.
The committee prevented it from being scrapped after 72 hours. The motion shall be tabled for a vote at the next plenary session.
It also restricted lawmakers from hiring close relatives as their secretarial staff.
Currently, it is not illegal for a lawmaker to hire family members or relatives to work at their parliamentary office. The public, however, view it as a form of nepotism when many people are having a hard time landing jobs in the face of slower than expected growth. A series of media reports unveiling such practices also fanned public criticism and calls for the Assembly to overhaul the related regulations.
Additionally, lawmakers’ trips overseas will be put under thorough monitoring. A report on the budget and participants will be made public and special treatment from diplomatic offices including free transportation and tour programs will not be provided anymore.