Lawmakers likely to raise own salaries again

The National Assembly building. / Korea Times file

By Jhoo Dong-chan

Lawmakers are likely to raise their own salaries for next year despite there being nearly 200 bills still pending at the National Assembly.

Last year, not only the ruling Democratic Party Korea but also the main opposition Liberty Party Korea approved a bill to increase their annual salaries by 1.8 percent.

Their bipartisan efforts faced strong opposition from the public, but the National Assembly Secretariat, the legislature's administration body, said the salary rise was less than the average pay increase rate of ministers and vice ministers.

Each South Korean lawmaker is receiving 151.76 million won ($128,610) for their 2019 annual salary. This includes nearly 50 million won in expenses for legislative activity, which is exempt from taxation.

It is the 10th―highest among the world's law-making bodies.

Rep. Sim Sang-jung of the minor opposition Justice Party.

Each lawmaker is allowed nine staff. Their salaries are paid separately from taxpayers' money.

Rep. Sim Sang-jung of the Minor opposition Justice Party proposed a bill to cut the salaries of the nation's 300 lawmakers at this month's National Assembly regular session, but the two major parties are likely to reject the proposed bill.

“A lawmaker's salary is about 7.25 times higher than this year's minimum wage,” Sim said. “The proposed bill will cut 30 percent of our salaries.”