"Kim Du-kwan's Salary, Petition to Lower It to Aide Level Emerges at Blue House"

Kim Du-kwan "It's More Unfair to Receive Twice the Wage of Non-Regular Workers Just Because You Became a Regular Employee"

Photo by Cheongwadae National Petition Board Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Du-kwan sparked controversy by saying that "it is rather unfair for regular employees to earn about twice as much as non-regular employees just because they studied a little more and became regular employees" in relation to the Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) incident. On the Blue House's national petition board, a petition was posted requesting that 'Lawmaker Kim's salary be lowered to the level of a parliamentary aide.'

On the 30th, a post titled 'Please lower the salaries of Democratic Party lawmakers including Kim Du-kwan to the level of parliamentary aides' was uploaded to the Blue House national petition board. As of 7 a.m. on the 1st, the petition had received support from about 9,800 people.

The petitioner said, "As Lawmaker Kim said, it is unfair to receive double the salary just because you studied a little more," and added, "Please lower the salaries of Democratic Party lawmakers who share the same opinion to the level of parliamentary aides. Also, if they give up the privileges they receive because they are lawmakers, it will save taxpayers' money and the sincerity of the Democratic Party's policies will be felt."

They sarcastically added, "Does it make sense that there is discrimination against parliamentary aides who actually work on the ground just because lawmakers studied 'a little' more?"

Earlier, Lawmaker Kim sparked controversy by saying regarding the controversy over the conversion of IIAC non-regular workers to regular workers, "It is rather unfair that regular employees earn about twice as much as non-regular employees just because they studied a little more and passed the written exam."

In a post on his Facebook on the 26th of last month, he said, "I understand the sense of deprivation felt by young people facing a serious employment cliff," but pointed out, "The logic that non-regular workers are taking away future jobs from job seekers is not only unfair but discriminatory." He added, "I absolutely support the regularization of IIAC."

Kim Du-kwan, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea
Photo by Yonhap News

However, after it was revealed that Lawmaker Kim sent his son to study abroad in the UK, criticism of "double standards" arose mainly among young people. In response, Lawmaker Kim rebutted, "What does reforming the dual structure of the labor market have to do with my son's study abroad?"

On the 30th of last month, Lawmaker Kim explained on his Facebook, "My son went to the UK to major in football sports marketing and returned five years ago," adding, "Except for briefly working as a non-regular employee during the Pyeongchang Olympics, he is still looking for a job on his own and exploring various options."

Previously, some online communities spread personal information about Lawmaker Kim's son, including his study abroad in the UK and watching the English Premier League (EPL), and related media reports followed.

Lawmaker Kim mentioned specific media outlets that reported this and said, "I condemn the behavior of distorting facts by bringing up irrelevant family matters to exploit the anger of young people with fake news and forced interpretations, and to bring down politicians trying to change the world."

He emphasized, "I will actively pursue media reform so that media outlets that distort facts by cutting out context and selectively picking necessary words, like 'excerpt-only newspapers,' cannot gain a foothold."