Assemblyman Seo Samsuk: Maritime Public Servants' Meal Allowance Should Be Improved as It Is Only Four-Fifths of Military Personnel's Meal Allowance

Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries' Fishery Patrol Workers Also at 6,470 Won Minimum

Unlike Other Workers, No 'Ship Lunch Allowance' for Ministry's Fishery Patrol Unit and Coast Guard

Democratic Party of Korea Assemblyman Seo Sam-seok (Yeongam·Muan·Shinan) ⓒ Asia Economy

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Seo Young-seo] The need to improve the treatment of maritime public officials was raised during the comprehensive audit of the National Assembly's Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock, and Fisheries Committee.

Seo Sam-seok, a member of the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, and Maritime Affairs Committee (Democratic Party, Yeongam·Muan·Shinan), pointed out, "It is unreasonable that maritime public officials who work hard at sea are discriminated against in meal allowances," and emphasized, "Discriminatory meal allowances must be improved."

With the increase in military meal allowance rates in 2021, the meal allowance for police officers was also raised to 10,000 KRW; however, maritime public officials working alongside them receive only 8,012 KRW per day, and the government’s budget proposal for next year has been set at the same amount.

Considering that police officers and maritime public officials live together, the daily meal allowance of 10,000 KRW for police officers and 8,012 KRW for maritime police officers means that when dining together, the total of 18,000 KRW is split as 9,000 KRW each, equating to 3,000 KRW per meal.

What is more unfortunate is that with the abolition of police officers in 2023, the meal allowance situation for maritime public officials is expected to worsen.

Furthermore, workers on the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries’ fishery guidance vessels receive the lowest meal allowance among public officials at 6,470 KRW per day. This has been criticized as highly unfair treatment for maritime public officials who perform more demanding duties than those working on land.

The Navy provides a daily food allowance of 12,000 KRW, which includes a 2,000 KRW "ship supplement," but workers of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries’ fishery guidance units and the Coast Guard, who live and work on ships, do not receive this "ship supplement." The ship supplement is an additional allowance considering the physical exhaustion of workers during ship duty.

Assemblyman Seo Sam-seok urged, "The treatment of Coast Guard and fishery guidance vessel workers, whose hard work is visible, must be improved," and called for meal allowance support improvements, stating, "Even if not better treatment, at least an equal meal allowance level of 10,000 KRW should be provided as a basic standard."