Why Are 2,000 Busan Public Officials Not Receiving Their Salaries?

Busan City Donates 34.1 Million Won in Leftover Change for Youth Independence Support
55 Million Won Each to Be Provided to 62 Youths Leaving Child Welfare Facilities
Since 2008, 1,926 Youths Have Received Over 865 Million Won in Donations

Why do more than 2,000 Busan city officials not take their full salary? Collecting the leftover change from their paychecks has become a great help.

Busan City (Mayor Park Hyung-jun) will hold a donation ceremony for leftover monthly salary contributions from Busan city officials at 2 p.m. on the 17th in the International Protocol Room of City Hall.

About 10 officials, including Lee Jun-seung, Deputy Mayor of Busan City, Park Jung-gyu, President of the Busan Child Welfare Association, and Kim Myung-soo, Chairman of the City Officials Labor Union, will attend the ceremony.

The "Leftover Monthly Salary Donation" is a charitable "salary donation" movement that collects small amounts of money from monthly salaries?less than 10,000 won, less than 1,000 won, or fixed donations?to help marginalized groups.

It began in April 2008 to support the independence of children admitted to child welfare facilities and has continued to this day.

Currently, a total of about 2,040 donors, including Busan city employees, staff from the Busan Metropolitan Social Service Center, and the Busan Transportation Culture Training Institute, are steadily participating.

At the ceremony, Kim Myung-soo, Chairman of the City Officials Labor Union and representative of the donors, will deliver 34.1 million won in donations collected last year from city and affiliated institution employees to the Busan Child Welfare Association.

The donated funds are scheduled to be provided as independence support money of 550,000 won per person to 62 youths leaving child welfare facilities in February.

Through annual donation ceremonies, a total of 1,926 youths have received independence support funds amounting to over 865 million won to date.

Busan City provides 12 million won per person as settlement support money and a monthly independence allowance of 500,000 won (for up to five years) to help youths leaving child welfare facilities settle stably in society. For those entering university, entrance fees of 4 million won and preparation funds of 500,000 won are also supported.

Lee Jun-seung, Deputy Mayor of Busan City, said, “I hope this donation becomes more than just support for children taking their first steps into society, but a source of hope, and that it can deliver warm energy to Busan.”

The Deputy Mayor added, “Our city is implementing various support policies to help youths preparing for independence achieve healthy self-reliance and early social settlement, and we will continue to focus on welfare services so that children can freely pursue their dreams with society’s interest and support.”