Rep. Bae Hyun-jin of the People Power Party has challenged remarks by singer Park Jin-young, co-chair of the presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange, that he serves without pay.
Bae, a member of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, wrote on Facebook on the 29th in a post titled "Words that didn't have to be said, words I don't know why were said" that she had confirmed through government budget disbursement records that Park is not performing "unpaid service" but receives monthly expenses, overseas travel costs and support staff.
According to budget execution data Bae obtained from the committee, Park has received about 2 million won (roughly $1,500) a month in duty performance expenses since November last year. The total paid to date has exceeded 20 million won (about $15,000).
Separately, he has also used a corporate card for business promotion expenses, and the four overseas trips he has taken since his appointment were covered by government travel allowances and accompanied by support personnel.
Park had said on MBC's variety program "Omniscient Interfering View" in August, regarding the committee co-chair post, that "if you work full time you get paid, and you get a lot, but I said I couldn't do that," adding that he had said he would take the job on a part-time (non-full-time) basis.
Asked whether he received an annual salary, he replied that he does not.
Bae said she did not know whether there was confusion between a committee chair post treated at the ministerial level and an entertainer for whom image management is essential, but added that the head of an organization spending national budget funds should not tell the public things that are not true.
In another post, she wrote that monthly duty performance expenses are compensation for official duties, or in effect a salary, and that it is money that would not be paid to anyone other than the chair. She asked whether he considered it "unpaid service" because the amount is small compared with an entertainer's appearance fees.
Meanwhile, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee on the 29th designated Park as a witness for its parliamentary audit of government agencies.
Committee Chair Lee Jae-jung said Park had conveyed his intention to "appear directly as a witness rather than a reference witness and explain fully to the public," and said Park is scheduled to attend the committee's audit on the 7th.
