Seodaemun District Council Rejects Supplementary Budget Review, Raising Concerns Over Wage Arrears at Daycare Centers

Additional Budget for Labor Cost-Type Expenses and Allowances for Private Sector (26 Projects, Approximately 1.3 Billion KRW) Postponed

Payment Delays Expected for Wages of Childcare Institutions and Elderly/Disabled Welfare Institution Workers

Concerns Over Confusion and Disruptions in Public Facility Operations and Private Consignment Tasks

Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Seongheon) announced on the 10th that the 2023 first supplementary budget proposal, submitted to the 292nd Seodaemun-gu Council temporary session last month, has been postponed for a long time due to the council’s refusal to review citing an audit of the Council Secretariat, raising serious concerns about delayed wage and allowance payments for workers in various institutions and organizations supported by the district.

The supplementary budget includes labor cost-type expenses and allowances for the private sector (26 projects totaling approximately 1.3 billion KRW).

However, due to the council’s refusal to review the supplementary budget, confusion and disruptions are expected in the operation of public facilities and the execution of private consignment tasks within Seodaemun-gu.

Specifically, wage payment delays for 560 workers at daycare centers, Healthy Family Support Centers, and Childcare Comprehensive Support Centers threaten the creation of a safe childcare environment.

Starting this month, wage support for ‘daycare centers designated for part-time childcare’ and ‘Seoul-type full-time teachers’ is not proceeding smoothly, causing difficulties for center directors.

If wage payments for childcare teachers at night extension, multicultural integration, disabled child integrated childcare centers, and government-supported daycare centers are also delayed, a decline in childcare service quality is feared.

Red flags have also been raised regarding wage payments for welfare workers serving the elderly and disabled, as well as veterans’ honor allowances.

Delays in supplementary budget payments for 117 workers at senior comprehensive welfare centers and senior support centers providing customized elderly care services, and 126 workers at comprehensive welfare centers offering specialized welfare services for people with developmental disabilities, are expected to harm vulnerable groups.

If issues arise in budgeting for ‘Dementia Safety Center operation costs’ and ‘wages for instructors of senior citizen center programs,’ normal progress of dementia safety projects and senior citizen welfare programs will be disrupted.

Additionally, difficulties are anticipated in smoothly paying veterans’ honor allowances to 3,080 national merit recipients who have contributed and dedicated themselves to the country.

The ‘Campus Town Development Project,’ jointly promoted with Yonsei University, Ewha Womans University, and Myongji College to foster youth entrepreneurship, create jobs, and revitalize the local economy, is also at risk of disruption, including delayed wage payments for 13 dedicated project staff for August.

Such delays caused by the council’s refusal to review the supplementary budget will affect not only smooth ‘public facility operations’ and ‘private consignment task execution’ but also ‘disaster response such as flood damage’ and payments of ‘basic pensions, veterans’ honor allowances, and pregnancy congratulatory money,’ ultimately impacting residents.

Lee Seongheon, Mayor of Seodaemun-gu, stated, “We earnestly urge the Seodaemun-gu Council to promptly review the supplementary budget proposal for the welfare and safety of residents and the normal operation of public facilities.”

Meanwhile, after some council members were fined by the court in April this year for misuse of training expenses, an audit of the Council Secretariat was initiated in May to prevent recurrence.

In response, council members from the Democratic Party stated that “the Council Secretariat is not an institution affiliated with Seodaemun-gu Office and therefore is not subject to the district office’s audit; until the illegal audit is withdrawn, the supplementary budget review will be postponed.”

The Seodaemun-gu Council consists of 15 members, with 7 from the People Power Party and 8 from the Democratic Party, creating a minority government situation.

Seodaemun-gu explained, “Regardless of party affiliation, we aim to identify structural problems related to the misuse of training expenses, clarify the responsibility of the Council Secretariat if any, and prepare institutional improvement measures to prevent recurrence by conducting the audit based on internal audit regulations, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s authoritative interpretation, and the Audit Board Act.”

They also stated, “During the previous mayor’s term, who was also from the Democratic Party, the district office audited the Council Secretariat. Using the audit of clearly wrongful matters as an excuse to boycott the budget review is problematic.”