Preventing Leisure-Oriented Trips... Gyeongnam Provincial Council to Disclose Entire Process of Official Overseas Business Trips

The Gyeongnam Provincial Council has agreed to make the entire process of official overseas business trips by council members public to the residents of the province.

On September 10, during the second plenary session of the 426th extraordinary meeting, the council unanimously passed a full amendment to the "Ordinance on Official Overseas Business Trips," proposed by Assemblyman Jeong Gyuhun, chair of the Council Operations Committee.

Gyeongnam Provincial Council. Photo by Lee Seryeong

This amended ordinance stipulates that council members traveling abroad for official business must draft a travel plan and release it on the council's website at least 45 days before departure. It also requires that the post-trip report and review materials, which must be submitted within 15 days of returning, be published on the council's website as well.

In addition, the committee that reviews official overseas business trips will conduct an integrated review of the institutions to be visited, the list of staff members, and the expenses. If there are any changes to the plan, it mandates a re-evaluation.

Furthermore, the amendment prohibits any expenditures other than those approved by the review committee, such as accommodation, airfare, vehicle rental, and interpretation services.

Residents can review the disclosed travel plans and related documents via written requests or posts on the council's website and provide their feedback.

As a result, expectations are rising that the review system for business trips, which has been criticized as merely a formality, will be strengthened and that controversies over "leisure-oriented trips" will be prevented in advance.

Assemblyman Jeong explained the reason for the proposal, stating, "By refining the procedures before and after official overseas business trips and making related plans, post-trip reports, and review materials public, we aim to operate the entire process-from approval of travel plans to reporting results-in a more transparent and responsible manner, thereby establishing an institutional foundation to enhance public trust."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.