지방의회 ‘외유성 연수’ 자정 확산…충북 광역·기초 의회 ‘예산 반납’

Controversy surrounds the overseas training (연수) given to local government officials, with many opinions and rumors circulating. All 12 counties and cities in Chungcheongbuk-do, including the provincial and city/country councils, decided not to participate in overseas training this year due to financial difficulties and instead return the related budget.

The Chosun Ilbo reports that the Chiezhin City Council canceled overseas training and returned ₩1.68 billion in related budget on November 13th. Chiezhin City Council Vice Chairwoman Jin-ah said they decided against overseas training for this year after discussions among legislators. They acknowledged the benefits of overseas training, such as enhancing legislators' capabilities, but considered the financial situation.

The Chungcheongbuk-do provincial council also decided to return ₩1.7 billion in budget for this year and focus on domestic training, policy research, and skill development. Choe Hyo-il, Chungcheongbuk-do provincial council chairman, explained that it is not easy to prepare for overseas training, especially in a new council's first few months, and they withheld participation due to financial concerns.

Other Chungcheongbuk-do counties and cities, such as Jeongseon, Goseong, Yeongchang, Chunchon, Yeongdong, Boseong, and Pyeongchang City Councils, also decided to forgo overseas training this year. The analysis suggests that sharp scrutiny from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Auditor General, and the Citizens' Rights Commission also played a role in this decision.

Additionally, the Ministry of Home Affairs released "Guidelines for Foreign Travel by Local Government Officials" last November. Hye-ran Kim, a spokesperson for Chungcheongbuk-do Citizens' Citizen Association, argued that first-time and last-year local governments should avoid overseas training due to limited preparation time and suggested that overseas training should be completely eliminated.