Subscribe
E-Paper
 |
| A promotional brochure for Kim Jae-dong's June 15 lecture. Courtesy of Daedeok county |
By Park Si-soo
Provincial county Daedeok has come under fire for paying what critics claim is "unimaginably hefty money" to a pro-government celebrity for a coming public lecture.
The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) said Wednesday the county had paid 15.5 million won ($13,150) to TV personality Kim Jae-dong for a two-hour pep talk-style lecture on June 15 at Hannam University.
Daedeok is one of the poorest counties in South Korea in terms of financial self-sufficiency. Only 16 percent of this year's budget was collected from within, while the remaining 84 percent was the central government's subsidy. Without the subsidy, it is impossible for the county office to pay its officers on time.
"How could it pay that money to a celebrity for a two-hour lecture?" the LKP said in a statement. LKP members representing Daedeok council called on the office to cancel the event and use the money for the county's jobless and underprivileged.
"With 15.5 million won, we can make a portion of food available for 3,875 children and create 12 part-time jobs for unemployed young adults," LKP representative Lee Hwang-hun said.
The Daedeok office said the lecture was a part of a central government-funded public education program, meaning the fee was not earmarked from its budget. Despite the explanation, criticism remains.
"By any standard, it's too high," a netizen wrote.
Kim is an outspoken celebrity supportive of liberal President Moon Jae-in and his policies. He was among thousands of "blacklisted" celebrities and entertainers "ousted" from TV and radio programs during the presidency of Moon's conservative predecessor Park Geun-hye.
Daedeok county leader Park Jung-hyun belongs to the ruling Democratic Party of Korea.
