Local council members who receive disciplinary action or are ordered to return improperly claimed overseas travel allowances could be barred from official foreign trips for up to two years under a proposed rule change at Incheon's Seohaegu District Council.
Kong Jeong-suk, chair of the council's management committee and a People Power Party member, said Tuesday she had introduced a partial amendment to the council's rules on official overseas travel.
The amendment reflects standards set by higher authorities and aims to root out the long-criticized practice of using official overseas trips as leisure junkets while improving the objectivity of council operations.
Under the proposed rules, any council member disciplined for misconduct or ordered to repay travel expenses would be removed from eligibility for official overseas travel for a minimum of several months and up to two years.
Overseas trips taken near the end of a council term — a practice that has become routine — would also face strict new restrictions.
The amendment also requires review committee members to recuse themselves from cases in which they have a personal interest, effectively blocking self-review. If a post-trip report reveals any unlawful or improper conduct, an internal audit or investigation must be initiated immediately.
Additional provisions spell out the right of staff members to refuse improper instructions from council members during trips and include protections against any resulting disadvantage to their employment status.
"This amendment is a measure to institutionally prevent leisure-disguised overseas trips and stop taxpayers' money from being wasted," Kong said. "We will establish fair and rigorous travel standards to build a council that residents can trust."
gilbert@heraldcorp.com
