Gukhim Staff Association: "National Assembly Secretariat Increased by 55 Members in the Dark, 6 Billion Won of Taxpayer Money Spent... Must Be Canceled"

Kukbohyeop Proposes 55 Additional Staff
Criticism of Blind and Uninformed Increase
Calls for Complete Reversal

Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is delivering a negotiation group representative speech at the National Assembly plenary session on the 2nd. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] The People Power Party Staff Association (Gukbohyeop) has urged the National Assembly Secretariat to "immediately scrap" the proposal to increase staff by 55 members. This is because the process of increasing the staff will cost about 6 billion KRW of taxpayers' money annually, and there is a lack of transparency regarding what each person will do and why such an organizational proposal was made.

On the 25th, the People Power Party Staff Association issued a statement expressing "serious regret over the National Assembly Secretariat's current organizational amendment proposal" and insisted that "the proposal to increase staff should be completely scrapped, considering the public's perspective and fairness across job categories."

The association stated, "On the 22nd, the National Assembly Secretariat suddenly submitted the 'Organizational Amendment Proposal' including the increase of 55 staff members at the full meeting of the Steering Committee," adding, "If this proposal passes the Steering Committee, it will be implemented immediately without approval from the Legislation and Judiciary Committee or the plenary session."

They further criticized, "It is laughable to push through such a significant matter within three days without sufficient discussion in public hearings or the Institutional Improvement Subcommittee." The association particularly pointed out, "The staff increase will cost about 6 billion KRW annually, but most people do not know what each new member will do or why this organizational proposal was made."

The association also criticized, "In the past 10 years from 2012 to 2021, the National Assembly Secretariat increased staff by only 66 members, but now they are proposing an additional 55 members before the ink has even dried. This is a 'blind and opaque' increase," adding, "Even a secure job should have some conscience."

Furthermore, they said, "It is even more outrageous that the National Assembly Secretariat is trying to increase its own staff like a military operation, taking advantage of the confusion after the by-elections and the leadership elections among negotiation groups," and added, "While some increases are necessary, the rushed and sneaky handling is problematic. They should apologize to the public and completely scrap the plan immediately."

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