"以民生为先" Suwon Special City Council自愿全额返还1.6亿韩元海外出差费

[News S=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] Suwon Special City Council in Gyeonggi Province has decided to voluntarily return the entire 160 million won in overseas official travel expenses for council members budgeted for this year, saying it will share the burden of difficult livelihood economics with citizens. What draws more attention is that this decision was made first by the council before anyone requested it, and all 37 council members across party lines voluntarily came together.

This decision reflects an intention to tighten the council's belt first amid continued economic hardship for citizens due to high inflation and economic downturn, thereby contributing to budget reduction and focusing on livelihood stability. Discussions have been ongoing centered on each standing committee and negotiating groups of parties, and Speaker Kim Mi-kyung drew a unanimous conclusion after consulting with the speaker's office, party negotiating group representatives, and standing committee chairs.

The council also expanded its leading-by-example efforts by canceling a scheduled trip to encourage athletes at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games planned for September 29 to October 2. The council plans to coordinate with the city administration so that the returned budget can be used for projects necessary for livelihood stability and citizens' daily lives through supplementary budget allocation.

Council members decided to focus more on field-oriented legislative activities by directly visiting local livelihood sites instead of making overseas trips, listening to citizens' voices, and discovering policies and ordinances closely related to residents' lives. This represents a commitment to repay citizens through legislative work that requires hard work rather than relying on salaries.

Suwon Special City Council Speaker Kim Mi-kyung said, "I have discussed with many council members about what role the council should play in the difficult livelihood economic situation, and members came together with one heart regardless of party affiliation. I am grateful to all members who shared their intentions, and I hope this decision will help alleviate citizens' hardships even a little."

She added, "Going forward, the council will devote its capabilities to listening to citizens' voices more closely, visiting local sites directly, and discovering policies that provide practical help to citizens' lives."