[Exclusive] 220 million won for a single debate; controversy over excessive budget allocation for the Presidential Committee for the Era of Local Autonomy

[Financial News] The cost of the Presidential Committee for the Era of Local Autonomy’s nationwide series of touring debates has been set at 220 million won per event in the government’s 2027 budget proposal, it has been confirmed. Given that large-scale debates hosted by local governments cost less than 100 million won, this is a very high allocation. The People Power Party says it will push to reduce the amount.
According to a review report on the 2027 budget proposal for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, obtained through the office of People Power Party lawmaker Koo Ja-geun, a member of the National Assembly’s Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee, the government allocated 3.96 billion won to “Regional Policy Task Debates for the Era of Local Autonomy.” The program received 1.5 billion won in 2025, but no budget was allocated in 2026, making it about 2.5 times its 2025 level over two years.
The Presidential Committee for the Era of Local Autonomy plans to hold 18 touring debates next year. That works out to 220 million won per event. The allocations are 132 million won for systems and stage setup, 18 million won for production, including content, 18 million won for operations and labor, and 52 million won for general administrative expenses and other costs.
Shin Hang-jin, chief expert adviser to the Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee, called for the hosting costs to be recalculated, saying they had been budgeted at a higher level than for comparable debates and should be adjusted to an appropriate level. The event-management contract for Gwangmyeong City’s 500-person roundtable debate in 2026 was set at 90 million won. Incheon City is currently inviting bids for event services worth 88.5 million won for a large-scale debate involving 300 participants this year. Although both are large-scale debates attended by hundreds of citizens, neither costs more than 100 million won, while the committee’s debates are budgeted at least twice that amount.
The report said, “The need to resume the regional policy task touring debates and the appropriateness of the number of events should be examined,” and added, “Even if the need to hold the debates is recognized, the per-event cost is high compared with that of similar debates, so options for reducing it to an appropriate level should be considered.”
The People Power Party is pushing for cuts to the budget. The Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee convened a plenary meeting on the 9th and began reviewing the budget proposal under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Members of the People Power Party on the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts are also expected to call for cuts.
[email protected] Lee Hae-ram Reporter