Lawmakers Receive 4.25 Million Won Chuseok Holiday Money... Kim Mi-ae of Opposition Says "I Feel Sorry, Will Donate"

425,000 Won in Chuseok Holiday Money Paid to Lawmakers This Year
"I Will Share It With Neighbors in Need"

While 4.25 million won was distributed to members of the National Assembly as Chuseok rice cake money this year, Kim Mi-ae, a member of the People Power Party, announced that she would donate the amount, stating, "I feel heavy-hearted and sorry."

On October 1, Assemblywoman Kim wrote on her Facebook page, "As always, 4,247,940 won in holiday bonus was deposited into my account," adding, "However, for neighbors who are even sadder and more burdened during this long Chuseok holiday, it often becomes a time of suffering."

She continued, "Last year, I also shared my discomfort about receiving the holiday rice cake money on Facebook, and many people expressed their sympathy and raised concerns. Since my first year as a lawmaker, I have witnessed the heartbreaking reality of dozens of self-employed people taking their own lives due to COVID-19. It made me feel so uncomfortable to fill my own pockets with my salary, so I naturally began donating part of my salary and sharing with others."

Assemblywoman Kim said, "Politics is ultimately about responsibility and conscience. Only when we reduce filling our own pockets and increase sharing with neighbors in pain will the National Assembly truly change, and so will Korean politics."

She added, "I will also share this holiday bonus with those in need. It does not affect my life. I feel ashamed of lies and shamelessness, and I want to help create a Korea where conscience is alive. Above all, it is time for the National Assembly to begin self-purification and reform."

Chuseok Bonuses for Office Workers... Only One-Seventh of Lawmakers' 'Chuseok Rice Cake Money'

As the economic outlook worsens ahead of this year's Chuseok, more companies are reducing or not paying Chuseok bonuses at all. According to a recent survey by the Korea Employers Federation of 625 companies nationwide with five or more employees on this year's Chuseok business conditions, 56.9% of companies responded that conditions had worsened compared to last year. Another 35.6% said conditions were similar to last year, meaning that a total of 92.5% of respondents felt that conditions were either worse or unchanged. Only 7.4% of companies said conditions had improved.

In this situation, fewer companies are planning to pay Chuseok bonuses. The proportion of companies planning to pay bonuses this Chuseok is 60.4%, down from 64.8% last year. By company size, 68.1% of companies with 300 or more employees plan to pay bonuses, compared to 59.4% of companies with fewer than 300 employees. Both groups saw decreases compared to last year, with the proportion dropping by 5.8 percentage points for companies with 300 or more employees and by 4.3 percentage points for those with fewer than 300 employees.

Even for those who do receive bonuses, the amount is only about one-seventh of the Chuseok rice cake money given to lawmakers. According to a recent survey by the career platform Saramin of 950 companies on their Chuseok bonus plans, the average bonus was 628,000 won. By company size, companies with 300 or more employees paid the most at 1,059,000 won, followed by companies with 100 to 299 employees at 763,000 won, and companies with fewer than 100 employees at 591,000 won.