"Drinking Parties, Fights, Sightseeing, and Shopping Only During Overseas Training... Daegu Civic Group's Revelations Spark Controversy"

"Only Commemorative Photos Taken by Daegu Dalseo-gu Council Members"

"Immediate Return of 57 Million Won Demanded"

Civil groups in Daegu, including Daegu Kyungsilryun, have called for the immediate recovery of expenses, claiming that members of the Daegu Dalseo District Council went abroad under the pretext of training, held drinking parties, and only took commemorative photos in front of buildings before returning.

In a statement released on the 5th, Daegu Kyungsilryun revealed, "Twelve members of the Welfare and Culture Committee and the Urban Environment Committee of the Daegu Dalseo District Council, who went on an official overseas trip (training) to Australia and New Zealand for 6 nights and 8 days starting from the 14th of last month, spent the entire trip drinking, quarreling among themselves, and filled most of their itinerary with sightseeing and shopping."

Daegu Citizens Coalition for Economic Justice

Daegu Kyungsilryun claimed, "Although the Dalseo District Council members visited 16 institutions locally, they actually met with representatives at only three, while at the other 13, they merely took commemorative photos in front of the buildings and returned."

According to the findings of Daegu Kyungsilryun, the 12 council members who participated in the overseas training to Australia and New Zealand belonged to the Welfare and Culture Committee and the Urban Environment Committee. By party affiliation, 9 were from the People Power Party and 3 from the Democratic Party. The total cost of this overseas training was reportedly about 57 million won, or 3.8 million won per person.

Daegu Kyungsilryun criticized, "The budget allocated for overseas training expenses for Dalseo District Council members was 3.5 million won per person, with the excess 300,000 won covered individually by the council members. However, 42 million won of citizens' taxes was used for Dalseo District Council's 'overseas drinking trip.'"

Daegu Kyungsilryun stated, "The poor overseas training?essentially a leisure trip?of the Welfare and Culture Committee and Urban Environment Committee was raised as an issue in the Dalseo District Council's Official Overseas Trip Review Committee, which reviewed the plan. Some committee members pointed out various problems regarding the location and content, but the training was approved with four in favor and two against."

Daegu Kyungsilryun urged, "The trip disguised as overseas training by the members of the Welfare and Culture Committee and Urban Environment Committee of the Daegu Dalseo District Council violated their own code of ethics, ethical practice regulations, and code of conduct. The Dalseo District Council must discipline the members who participated in this trip and recover the budget they used."