Pohang freezes assembly activity allowance, raises monthly stipend 3.5% for 2027

Pohang City in North Gyeongsang Province convened a meeting of its Assembly Remuneration Review Committee at the city hall conference room on Thursday to deliberate and set remuneration standards for Pohang City Council members covering the four-year period from 2027 to 2030.

The committee, formed under the enforcement decree of the Local Autonomy Act, comprises 10 members drawn from recommendations across various sectors, including education, law, media, civic organizations, neighborhood associations and the Pohang City Council itself.

Nine of the 10 members attended Thursday's meeting to discuss the remuneration standards.

The committee reviewed the standards by weighing Pohang's population size, fiscal conditions, the previous year's local civil servant pay raise rate and the council's legislative performance record.

The committee decided to freeze the monthly assembly activity allowance at 1.5 million won ($1,120) — keeping it at the current level — while adjusting the monthly fixed stipend each year in line with the local civil servant pay raise rate.

Accordingly, the monthly fixed stipend for 2027 was set at 2.66 million won, a 3.5 percent increase from the 2026 level of 2.57 million won.

On an annual basis, the fixed stipend will total 31.88 million won, an increase of 1.08 million won per year, or 89,830 won per month, over the current amount.

Adding the monthly activity allowance of 1.5 million won, total remuneration for each Pohang City Council member in 2027 will come to 4.16 million won per month and 49.88 million won per year.

The decision aimed to provide appropriate compensation for legislative work while keeping remuneration at a level that meets public expectations. The activity allowance was maintained at the maximum permitted under the Local Autonomy Act's enforcement decree, while the fixed stipend will be adjusted annually in line with the local civil servant pay raise rate.

"We hope this decision will serve as an opportunity for the Pohang City Council, grounded in public trust, to pay closer attention to key local issues and carry out responsible legislative activities for the benefit of residents and regional development," a Pohang City official said.