Choo Kyung-ho "Raising the Meal Expense Limit from 30,000 to 50,000 Won under the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act"

Agricultural, Livestock, and Marine Products Increase from 150,000 Won to 200,000~300,000 Won
"Should Have Been Raised Earlier... Does Not Reflect Reality"

Choo Kyung-ho, floor leader of the People Power Party, proposed to the government raising the meal expense limit under the Act on the Prohibition of Improper Solicitation and Graft (Improper Solicitation and Graft Act) from 30,000 won to 50,000 won as a measure to restore vitality to the livelihood economy.

Chu Kyung-ho, floor leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the party's strategy meeting held at the National Assembly on the 9th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

At the floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly on the morning of the 9th, Floor Leader Choo said, "The pain of small business owners and self-employed people continues due to not only raw materials such as food ingredients but also the steep increase in the minimum wage and the impact of high interest rates," adding, "I propose to the government to adjust the meal expense from 30,000 won to 50,000 won and the value of agricultural, livestock, and fishery products from 150,000 won to 200,000 or 300,000 won to improve the business conditions of small business owners, self-employed people, and workers in agriculture, livestock, and fisheries who are at the forefront of the domestic consumption economy."

He explained, "In addition, there are concerns that the excessive regulations on meal expenses and gift values of agricultural, livestock, and fishery products under the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, which have been in place for a long time, rather reduce the vitality of people's livelihoods," and added, "In fact, the 30,000 won meal expense set when the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act was implemented in 2016 was based on the Code of Conduct for Public Officials established in 2003." He continued, "The reality is that the gap between the field and the norm has only widened as inflation has not been reflected for over 20 years," and emphasized, "As much as the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act has contributed positively to making our society more transparent, efforts to enhance the enforceability of the norm through adjustments that fit the times and circumstances are also important."

After the meeting, Floor Leader Choo told reporters, "The 30,000 won meal expense under the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act has been set for about 20 years," and said, "Considering the price situation of our economy during that time, it should have been raised long ago, but it has been delayed and is still 30,000 won, which many point out does not reflect reality."

Adjusting the limits on meal expenses and gifts such as agricultural, livestock, and fishery products under the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act is a matter of revising the enforcement decree, so it can be changed if the government has the will to do so.