The North Gyeongsang Provincial Assembly has decided to cancel all overseas training trips for 2026 and return the full budget allocated for them.
Assembly members agreed on the move to focus their legislative activities on examining residents' livelihoods amid difficult economic conditions at home and abroad, the assembly said Wednesday.
Because the overseas training budget is funded by taxpayer money, the assembly reviewed the necessity, urgency and policy value of the trips and concluded that proceeding with them at this time would be inappropriate.
The assembly plans to apply stricter scrutiny to future overseas travel and training by its members, ensuring such activities contribute meaningfully to resolving local issues and developing policy.
Savings from the cancellation will be redirected to where they are needed most, the assembly added.
Assembly Speaker Kim Hee-su said the decision to cancel the overseas training reflects the assembly's commitment to taking residents' concerns seriously and fulfilling its legislative responsibilities with greater accountability. "We will continue to put public trust first and focus our legislative work on resolving local issues and improving the lives of residents," Kim said.
kbj7653@heraldcorp.com
