Local councils scrap overseas policy research trips in face of public scrutiny, strained finances

Roughly 50 days into their new terms, local councils are canceling trips abroad for policy research and returning millions of won in travel budgets amid strained local finances, a sluggish economy and stubborn inflation.

The Cheonan City Council in South Chungcheong decided to scrap every official overseas trip scheduled for the second half of this year on Thursday. The council is considering using the 145 million won ($104,900) freed up by the decision to support people who fall through gaps in the welfare system.

Councilors in Cheonan also agreed to freeze their activity allowance and raise their monthly stipend only in line with the 3.5 percent pay raise given to civil servants. The council's 29 members each receive 39.1 million won a year in stipends and another 1.5 million won a month in activity allowances for total annual compensation of 57.1 million won.

"Every member understands the weight of the trust and expectations residents have placed in this council," Eom So-yeong, chair of the Cheonan City Council, said. "We will do our utmost to serve residents by auditing the city administration, reviewing budgets and passing ordinances."

The Daejeon Metropolitan Council has decided to return all 89.5 million won remaining in its overseas travel budget for the year. One of the council's 22 members, however, objected and argued that the trips were necessary.

"With the economic slump and high prices dragging on and pressure on household finances mounting, this decision is intended to share the burden with residents and strengthen the council's accountability," Jo Seong-chil, chair of the Daejeon Metropolitan Council, said at a news conference on Aug. 13.

The Daegu council has dropped overseas trips its standing committees had been arranging. Each committee had been preparing a roughly four-day trip to China, Japan or Vietnam in September or October, but the committee chairs agreed to replace them with a two-day domestic training program.

The Cheongju City Council in North Chungcheong reached the same decision on different grounds. It said earning residents' trust came before building policy expertise abroad.

"There was controversy from the moment this council opened, and given residents' concerns about overseas trips, we judged that more thorough preparation was needed," Choi Jin-a, a Cheongju councilor and the council's spokesperson, said.

The council returned the full 168 million won set aside for the trips.

"Before we go looking for answers overseas, we will spend more time in Cheongju itself, look harder at the city government's administration and finances and listen to what residents are saying," Lim Eun-seong, chair of the Cheongju council, said.

The Goesan County Council in North Chungcheong has also dropped its overseas trips this year citing financial difficulties and a weak local economy, and plans to cut the full 40 million won in travel expenses from a third supplementary budget in September.

The Uiryeong County Council in South Gyeongsang, which has previously been criticized over overseas trips seen as junkets, will return its entire travel budget. The council plans to approve a supplementary budget cutting 70 million won during its second regular session in September.

"The harder the times, the more important it is that the council looks first after residents' livelihoods and acts responsibly," Yun Byeong-yeol, chair of Uiryeong council, said. "Members came forward voluntarily and reached a consensus after considering the state of local finances."

All 10 Uiryeong councilors traveled to Japan for five days from Dec. 9 to 13, 2024, six days after former President Yoon Suk Yeol's Dec. 3 declaration of martial law, and drew criticism that the trip amounted to a junket. The itinerary included Osaka Castle and a Japanese garden.

"With local councils only just beginning their terms, canceling overseas trips is the obvious decision," an official at a civic group said. "I hope they do not stop at a one-off budget return but show genuine change through institutional reform."

BY SHIN JIN-HO [[email protected]]