ACT ON ASSISTANTS OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY MEMBERS AND THEIR ALLOWANCES

Article 1(Purpose) #

The purpose of this Act is to support the official activities of members of the National Assembly serving the citizens and to make up for the minimum actual expenses incurred in maintaining their dignity, by prescribing matters regarding assistants of the National Assembly members, allowances, etc.

Article 2(Assistants) #

(1) Assistants including aides (hereinafter referred to as "assistant") shall be assigned to members of the National Assembly to support their legislative activities.

(2) Assistants, the fixed number of whom is prescribed in attached Table 1, shall be remunerated accordingly.

Article 3(Grounds for Disqualification) #

(1) None of the following persons shall become an assistant:

1. A person who falls under any subparagraph of Article 33 of the State Public Officials Act;

2. A person who committed a crime prescribed in Article 166 of the National Assembly Act and for whom five years have not passed since punishment by a fine of not less than five million won declared by a court became final and conclusive;

3. A spouse or a relative by blood or marriage within the fourth degree of a National Assembly member who intends to be appointed as his or her assistant.

(2) The same shall not apply to a member of the National Assembly for whom assistance from a person referred to in Article 3 (1) 3 is deemed required due to his or her physical disability defined in Article 2 (2) 1 of the Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities, notwithstanding paragraph (1).

Article 4(Ipso Facto Retirement) #

In any of the following cases, an assistant shall retire ipso facto:

1. Where he or she falls under any subparagraph of Article 69 of the State Public Officials Act;

2. Where he or she has committed a crime prescribed in Article 166 of the National Assembly Act, for whom punishment by a fine of not less than five million won declared by a court becomes final and conclusive;

3. Where he or she falls under Article 3 (1) 3.

Article 5(Advance Notice of Dismissal) #

(1) Where a member of the National Assembly intends to request the dismissal of an assistant against the assistant’s will, the member shall submit a written request that states the person subject to dismissal, the date of dismissal, and the grounds for requesting dismissal (hereinafter referred to as "written request for ex officio dismissal") to the Secretary General of the National Assembly at least 30 days prior to the date of such dismissal: Provided, That the same shall not apply in any of the following cases:

1. Where the member of the National Assembly is unable to continue legislative activities due to an act of God, a calamity, or other unavoidable causes;

2. Where the assistant has intentionally caused serious disruption to the legislative activities of the member of the National Assembly, which falls under the grounds prescribed by the National Assembly Regulations.

(2) Upon receipt of a written request for ex officio dismissal, the Secretary General of the National Assembly shall give advance notice of dismissal in writing to the relevant assistant.

Article 6(Reporting or Disclosure of Employment of Relatives) #

(1) Where a member of the National Assembly requests that a person referred to in Article 3 (1) 3 be appointed as an assistant, or his or her relative referred to in Article 777 of the Civil Act who does not fall under Article 3 (1) 3 as an assistant pursuant to Article 3 (2), such fact shall be reported to the Secretary General of the National Assembly.

(2) The Secretary General of the National Assembly shall disclose the details of the report under paragraph (1) by publishing them on the National Assembly Bulletin or the official website, etc. of the National Assembly.

(3) Upon receipt of a request for appointment as an assistant, the Secretary General of the National Assembly may request that the Minister of the National Court Administration or the head of the relevant agency render cooperation in providing materials or information necessary to verify the fact reported under paragraph (1) or to verify as to whether the relevant assistant falls under Article 3 (1) 3. In such cases, the Minister of the National Court Administration or the head of the relevant agency, upon receipt of such request, shall cooperate unless there is a compelling reason not to do so.

Article 7(Standards for Paying Allowances) #

Allowances specified in attached Table 2 shall be paid to members of the National Assembly every month: Provided, That where the National Assembly intends to adjust allowances, such adjustment may be prescribed by the National Assembly Regulations according to the adjustment ratio of remuneration of public officials until this Act is amended.

Article 8(Allowances Payday) #

Allowances shall be paid to members of the National Assembly on the 20th day of each month: Provided, That where the allowances payday falls on an official holiday, such allowances shall be paid on the preceding day.

Article 9(Calculation of Allowances) #

As for allowances for the month in which the date the term of office of a member of the National Assembly commences and the date a member of the National Assembly loses his or her position falls, the amount shall be paid in proportion to the number of days he or she holds office in the relevant month out of the allowances under Article 7.

Article 10(Allowances for Members Holding Concurrent Offices) #

Where a member of the National Assembly concurrently holds office as public official permitted by law, he or she may receive the larger of allowances for a member of the National Assembly or remuneration for the other office. In such cases, expenses for legislative activities or special activities shall not be paid, notwithstanding Articles 11 and 12.

Article 11(Expenses for Legislative Activities) #

(1) Expenses for legislative activities specified in attached Table 3 shall be paid to members of the National Assembly every month for their legislative activities, such as the collection of and research on basic legislative data: Provided, That where expenses for legislative activities are to be adjusted, such adjustment may be prescribed by the National Assembly Regulations until this Act is amended.

(2) Articles 8 and 9 shall apply mutatis mutandis to the day that expenses for legislative activities are paid and the method of calculating such expenses.

Article 12(Expenses for Special Activities) #

(1) In order to specifically support the legislative activities of members of the National Assembly while in session, expenses for special activities shall be paid.

(2) Expenses for special activities shall be the sum obtained by multiplying the equivalent of 1/30 of the amount payable under attached Table 4 by the number of days the National Assembly is in session and shall be paid during the session.

Article 13(Expenses for Legislative and Policy Development Activities) #

(1) In order to assist members of the National Assembly with their legislative and policy development activities, expenses for legislative and policy development activities may be paid within the budget.

(2) Matters necessary for the standards and procedures for paying expenses for legislative and policy development activities under paragraph (1) shall be determined by the Speaker of the National Assembly in consultation with the representative member of each negotiating party.

Article 14(Travel Expenses) #

(1) Where a member of the National Assembly travels in the performance of his or her official duties through the passage of a resolution at a plenary session or by a committee, or by order of the Speaker of the National Assembly, such travel expenses shall be paid.

(2) The standards for paying travel expenses shall be prescribed by the National Assembly Regulations.

(3) Overseas travel expenses shall be paid within the minimum extent necessary for the overseas official activities, in consideration of the purposes of such travel.

Article 15(Injury or Death) #

Where a member of the National Assembly suffers a bodily injury in the course of performing his or her duties, medical expenses for treating such injury shall be fully paid, where he or she becomes physically disabled due to such injury, the equivalent of six months’ worth of allowances shall be paid, and where he or she dies of such injury or disease while in the performance of his or her duties, the equivalent of one year’s worth of allowances shall be paid.