"Have They Even Given Us 5 Million Won in Severance Pay?"... National Assembly Aides Angry at Kwak Sang-do

"We Have Lived as Fiercely as Kwak Sang-do's Son"
"Even After 7 Years Together, We Cannot Receive 5 Billion Won in Severance Pay"

Gwak Sang-do, Independent (former member of the People Power Party). [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Amid controversy over the fact that the son of independent lawmaker Kwak Sang-do (formerly of the People Power Party) received 5 billion KRW as severance pay from Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management (Hwacheon Daeyu), criticism is also emerging among National Assembly aides.

On the 27th, a post titled "To the son of Representative OOO" was uploaded on 'Yeouido Bamboo Forest,' an anonymous bulletin board for National Assembly workers.

A, who identified himself as an aide with over seven years of experience working in the National Assembly, addressed Kwak’s son, saying, "Just as you started your career around 2015 by joining Hwacheon Daeyu, I too, by chance, entered the National Assembly around 2015 and began my first job."

He continued, "Just as you suffered from frequent coughing and dizziness due to excessive work over the past seven years, my health has also deteriorated over the past seven years while enduring presidential elections, parliamentary elections, and seven rounds of National Assembly audits, contracting illnesses such as inflammation and shingles that I had never experienced before. I had not been to a hospital since elementary school, but since joining the National Assembly, I have spent nearly 10 million KRW on medical expenses to recover my health."

Photo by Facebook page 'Yeouido Next to Bamboo Forest' screen capture.

He added, "The same goes for the aides around me. They all live with conditions like reflux esophagitis, stress-induced gastritis, chronic headaches, and dizziness as a baseline, so unless someone is seriously ill, it’s difficult for us to even say 'I’m sick' to each other," he lamented.

Then A pointed out, "The only difference is that you received 5 billion KRW in severance pay for living intensely for seven years, whereas the aides who served your father for seven years cannot receive 5 billion KRW in severance pay."

Furthermore, he said, "I have a partial list of how many aides your father has dismissed. Your father has changed aides quite frequently in a short period," and questioned, "But did your father ever give even 5 million KRW to the aides who sacrificed their health, family, and personal time to serve him, saying 'Thank you for your hard work'?"

Finally, A concluded, "Perhaps the people most angered by your post were the aides serving your father."

Earlier, B, the son of Representative Kwak, sparked controversy after receiving 5 billion KRW as severance pay from Hwacheon Daeyu.

On the 26th, B emphasized through Representative Kwak’s Facebook, "It is true that I worked hard, was recognized, and earned a lot of money at the cost of my health, but it is not true that my father was behind Hwacheon Daeyu or that I received compensation because of that. I did not want to disclose my personal issues, especially those related to my health, to anyone including my family."