Lawmakers' Holiday Bonus of 4.4 Million Won Outstrips Workers' Monthly Pay (26 characters incl. spaces)
The holiday gift money received by National Assembly members for Chuseok came to 4.4 million won, exceeding the average monthly wage of South Korean workers.
According to data submitted to the National Assembly on member allowances, members of the 22nd National Assembly each received 4.4 million won in the form of holiday allowances ahead of Chuseok. That is roughly 650,000 won more than the average worker's wage as measured by Statistics Korea. Rep. Jang Dong-hyuk of the People Power Party reacted with self-mockery, saying, "That's 650,000 won more than a worker's monthly salary," and his remarks spread rapidly online.
From 630,000 Won to 4.4 Million Won: A History of Holiday Allowances
Lawmakers' holiday allowances are based on the Act on Allowances for National Assembly Members. Paid at each holiday in addition to regular monthly salaries, the allowance stood at a mere 630,000 won in the past but rose through repeated hikes to the current 4.4 million won. Since it is paid twice a year—for Chuseok and Lunar New Year—each member effectively receives an extra 8.8 million won annually from holiday allowances alone.
The problem lies in the timing and process of the raises. The Assembly has adjusted member allowances based on inflation and minimum wage increases, yet discussions on raising lawmakers' own pay have often taken place through closed channels such as general meetings of members rather than standing committees. With the 4.4 million won allowance disbursed at a time of heightened public unease, criticism of the Assembly "looking after its own rice bowl" has resurfaced.
Silence on Both Sides, While the Public Bears the Political Cost
The bigger issue is that neither the ruling nor opposition camp has brought the matter into public debate. Both the Democratic Party and the People Power Party remain silent when it comes to issues that directly affect the members themselves. That is also why Rep. Jang's remarks drew attention: it was unusual for a member of the People Power Party to call out his own party colleagues' allowances.
Public sentiment is cold. President Lee Jae-myung said on the 27th, "A world without foul play and privilege comes only when those who sincerely want it act and put it into practice," emphasizing his resolve to abolish privilege. Separate from his approval rating rising for two consecutive weeks to 37.9% in a Realmeter survey, many citizens still perceive that political privilege persists. Critics point out that the president's own words—"a conscience that does not act is on the side of evil"—could apply directly to the lawmaker allowance issue.
Audit Season Showdown and the Outlook for Reform
With the National Assembly audit—the second under the Lee Jae-myung administration—fast approaching, the issue is unlikely to end as a mere passing episode. Alongside controversies over personnel vetting and the re-nomination of a Supreme Court justice nominee, the question of parliamentary privilege is expected to flare up again during the audits. The opposition in particular has a strong incentive to wield the ruling party's allowance issue as a card against the government.
Reform options broadly fall into two categories. One is to regularly disclose the reality of holiday allowances and transparently justify raises in conjunction with analytical data from the National Assembly Secretariat. The other is to abolish the allowance altogether or shift to a structure tied to job performance. However, since it is difficult for lawmakers themselves to agree to cut their own pay, substantive reform appears possible only when public pressure reaches a tipping point.
In the end, the question posed by the figure of 4.4 million won is simple: Does an Assembly that receives holiday money larger than citizens' monthly pay have the standing to speak of "a world without privilege"? At the upcoming audits, the political establishment's answer to that question is expected to become clear, whichever way it goes.
