Assemblyman Bu Seung-chan "War Memorial Project Chairman Self-Increases Salary by 10%"

“Baek Seung-ju Chairman's Annual Salary This Year 128.64 Million Won”

On the 4th, Bu Seung-chan, a member of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, revealed that the annual salary of the head of the War Memorial Project Association, a public institution under the Ministry of National Defense, increased by 10% compared to last year.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to Bu's analysis of Alio, a public institution management information disclosure system, the annual salary of Baek Seung-ju, head of the War Memorial Project Association, rose from 116.94 million KRW in 2023 to 128.64 million KRW in 2024, a 10% increase based on the base salary.

The remuneration standards for executives of public enterprises and quasi-governmental institutions are determined by the board of directors according to the compensation guidelines set by the Minister of Strategy and Finance, and the wage increase rate follows the 'Public Enterprises and Quasi-Governmental Institutions Budget Operation Guidelines' presented annually by the Ministry of Strategy and Finance. The wage increase rate for 2024 was 2.5%.

Compared to other public institutions under the Ministry of National Defense, the annual salary of the head of the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA) increased by 2.5%, from 106.25 million KRW in 2023 to 108.91 million KRW in 2024 based on the base salary, while the Defense Transition Education Institute's salary remained frozen at 103.48 million KRW for both 2023 and 2024.

Bu stated that the War Memorial Project Association decided on the 10% salary increase for its head without submitting the matter to the board of directors or going through a resolution process. In response, the War Memorial Project Association explained that the salary increase was decided due to the difference in compensation compared to similar other public institution heads and the relatively small wage gap between the head and regular full-time employees.

Bu said, "Considering the increasing debt ratio of the War Memorial Project Association and fairness with other employees, the sudden 10% 'self-increase' of the salary is subject to criticism," adding, "For heads of institutions appointed by the President to perform official duties, it is necessary to apply strict standards such as adherence to guidelines when increasing salaries."