This Year's National Assembly Members' Chuseok Holiday Allowance: 4.4 Million Won, 650,000 Won More Than the Average Office Worker's Monthly Pay

[Financial News] This year's Chuseok holiday allowance for each National Assembly member has been set at approximately 4.4 million won. The amount is more than 650,000 won higher than the average monthly income of office workers, highlighting a contrast with private-sector companies that are cutting or unable to pay bonuses amid the economic slowdown.
According to Maeil Business Newspaper (MK) on the 26th, each National Assembly member will receive a Chuseok holiday allowance of 4,396,560 won this year. The allowance is calculated as 60% of the monthly general allowance of 7,327,600 won and is paid separately for Seollal and Chuseok.
The annual holiday allowances alone amount to approximately 8.8 million won. As lawmakers' annual salary rose by 4.03 million won from the previous year to 160.93 million won this year, their holiday allowance also increased by about 300,000 won from last year.
This amount is far higher than the income level of ordinary workers. Compared with the average monthly income of wage workers, which the Ministry of Data and Statistics calculated at 3.75 million won, a lawmaker's holiday allowance for a single holiday is about 650,000 won more than an office worker's entire monthly income.
Meanwhile, private companies have scaled back their holiday bonuses. A survey of 601 companies with five or more employees by the Korea Enterprises Federation (KEF) found that 61.0% planned to pay Chuseok bonuses, down 2.0 percentage points from the previous year.
The situation is even more difficult for small and medium-sized enterprises. A survey by the Korea Federation of SMEs (KBIZ) found that only 45.1% planned to pay bonuses. Among SMEs that pay a fixed amount, the average bonus per employee was just 665,000 won—about one-sixth of lawmakers' holiday allowance.
Amid these circumstances, some lawmakers have moved to return their holiday allowances to society. Kim Mi-ae of the People Power Party donated the full 4.4 million won she received for this year's Chuseok holiday through the Community Chest of Korea to crisis pregnancy support centers, facilities for single mothers, and childcare facilities for children with disabilities.
Kim, who has donated her holiday allowance since last year's Chuseok, said, "Many people can barely receive a paycheck, let alone a holiday bonus, so I believe we should share at least this money," adding, "Politicians should give people hope based on trust."

[email protected] Seong Min-seo Reporter