Local Council Members No Longer Allowed 'Leisure Overseas Trips' at End of Term

Kim Minjae, Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, is announcing measures to prevent overseas official trips with a leisure purpose before the expiration of local council members' terms at the Seoul Government Complex Annex in Jongno-gu, Seoul on November 26, 2025. Photo by Jo Yongjun

Ministry of the Interior and Safety Recommends Revised Standard Rules for Official Overseas Trips to Local Councils... Trips Allowed Only in Unavoidable Circumstances

Going forward, official overseas trips with a leisure purpose by local council members within one year of their term expiration will, in principle, be prohibited. Such trips will only be permitted in unavoidable cases, such as invitations from foreign governments.

On November 26, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that it would recommend the revised 'Standard Rules for Official Overseas Trips by Local Council Members' to all local councils. Kim Minjae, Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, stated at a briefing that day, "In cases where a local council member has less than one year remaining in their term, official overseas trips will only be permitted in unavoidable circumstances, such as invitations from foreign governments, participation in international events, or the signing of sisterhood agreements."

Previously, suspicions were raised in local councils nationwide that, ahead of the end of their terms with the local elections scheduled for June next year, some council members were planning overseas trips or study tours with a leisure purpose.

On September 8, 2025, members of the Buk-gu Council held a press conference in front of the Gwangju Bukbu Police Station urging a swift investigation related to official overseas business trips. Provided by Gwangju Buk-gu Council. Photo by Yonhap News.

At Least One Representative or Executive from a Civic Group Must Participate in the Official Overseas Trip Review Committee

The revised rules stipulate that, for general overseas trips such as benchmarking advanced cases, the urgency of the trip, the minimum number of participants, and the potential for utilizing the trip's outcomes must be reviewed before obtaining approval from the council chairperson. The chairperson's review report must be made public on the institution's website to collect resident opinions and undergo a verification process. The Official Overseas Trip Review Committee must include at least one representative or executive from a civic group who can represent residents' opinions, in addition to external experts and residents.

Post-trip management measures will also be strengthened. Local council members who have been subject to disciplinary action will be restricted from taking overseas trips for a certain period. If the review committee determines after the trip that the travel was illegal or improper, the local council will be required to request an audit or investigation by external or internal audit organizations. Based on the results, actions such as referring the member for investigation or issuing internal disciplinary measures may be taken.

On September 17, 2025, in front of the Goseong County Council in Gyeongnam, the civic group Goseong Hope Solidarity held a head-shaving ceremony urging the council to cancel its overseas study tour, which was seen as a leisure trip. Photo by Yonhap News.

Stronger Protection Measures for Accompanying Council Staff... No Forced Participation in Trips

Protection measures for council staff will also be strengthened. During official overseas trips, the revised rules establish grounds for staff to refuse illegal or improper instructions from local council members, such as recommending specific travel agencies, forcing participation in trips, or demanding violations of accounting regulations. Unnecessary instructions to accompanying staff, such as pooling joint expenses, running personal errands, or forcing participation in after-hours gatherings, will also be prohibited.

In addition, for local councils where illegal or improper official overseas trips have been identified in audits, the government is considering imposing financial penalties, such as reducing local allocation tax or overseas travel expenses.

As revising local council rules will take time, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety plans to prepare and distribute 'Guidelines for Local Council Staff Work Procedures' by the end of this year, which can be implemented immediately. Vice Minister Kim added, "We will actively consider including grounds to curb illegal or improper official overseas trips in the Local Council Act, which is scheduled to be enacted next year."