Lawmaker Donates Chuseok Bonus, Criticizes Political Spending
SEOUL, September 1st โ- National Assembly โฃmember Kim Mi-ae of the People Power Party announced today she will donate her approximately 4.25 million won Chuseok holiday bonus to those inโฃ need, continuing a practiceโข she began last year. The total holiday bonus allocated to โlawmakersโข this year โamounts to 8.49588 millionโ won, split between Lunar Newโ Year and Chuseok.
In a Facebook post, Representative Kim expressed โคconcern over the financial strain the holiday can impose on others, stating, “The long Chuseok holiday is a time of painโ for more sad and busyโ neighbors.” She referenced previous expressions โof discomfort withโ receiving the bonus and a desire to share with the community.
Kim โฃalso used the announcement to critique broader political โspending, โฃreferencing her advocacy for fiscal duty during budget deliberations and disaster โrelief efforts. “We always shout the โpeople and peopleโฆ but even though it isโข becoming a debt bomb that brushes the pockets of the future generation, anger goes beyond despair,” she wrote.
She further criticized practices like publishing commemorative events and including account details on children’s wedding invitations, callingโ them “shameless.”
“Politics is eventually responsibleโข and cheap,” Kim stated. “the parliament will โคchange and Korean politics will change when you reduce the filling โof my pockets and shareโฃ with the suffering neighbors.”
The holiday bonusโ for National โคAssembly members is calculated at 60% of their monthly salary,โค as stipulated in Articleโ 18-3 of โขthe general public service allowance regulations. With parliamentary member salaries around 157 million โwon annually, the bonus hasโ increased by approximately 10% over the last decade. Kim affirmed that donating the full amount would โnot impact her personal โfinances.