National Policy Researchers Wastes Money on Business Class

  The result of the Center of Freedom of Information (CFOI)’s request of information disclosure to the National Assembly revealed that economics, humanities and sociology research societies and their related government think tanks are wasting the budget with business class airline seats. This issue has been pointed out as a main cause for wasting financial resources as there are numerous institutions that do not even have criteria for using the business class and the positions available for the business class even covers general research fellows. According to the data disclosed by the National Assembly, the overseas travel expenses for the economics, humanities and sociology research societies and their related government think tanks are 8.476 billion won in 2013, down 90 million won from 2012 but up 2 billion won from 2011.

 

[2013 Overseas Travel Expense Budget for Research Societies and Research Institutes]
                                                                                                      (Unit: million, %)

Type	Final Accounts 2011	Budget (A)  2012	Budget (B) 2013	Variation
				(B-A)	(B-A)/A
Overseas Travel Expenses	6,422	8,574	8,476	△98	△1.1

 

 

[Criteria of boarding business class and number of boarding]
                                                                                                                   (Unit: Person)

Name of Institutes	Criteria of Boarding Business Class			Number of boarding
	Position	Flight Duration	Location	2011	2012
Science and Technology Policy Institute	Executives (President) Vice President Senior Research Fellow	-	-	2	2
	Head of the department (excl. team manager)	8 hrs +	-	-	1
Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements	President Vice President	-	-	2	3
Architecture & Urban Research Institute	President	-	-	3	-
Korea Institute for International Economic policy	President Senior Research Fellow	-	-	62	56
	Research Fellow	8 hrs +	-
	Senior Administrative Officer Senior Expert Member	6 years + of experience in the corresponding position. 8 hrs +	-
Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade	President, Vice President	-	All	9	18
	Senior Research Fellow	8 hrs +	Region Ga∼Ra (* America, Europe, Middle East, Africa)
	Research Fellow Chief Administrative Officer	Head of the department 8 hrs +
Korea Energy Economics Institute	President	-	-	-	3
	Vice President	-	-	1	2
	Senior Research Fellow	8 hrs +	-	7	9
Korea Information Society Development Institute	President Head of the division Senior research Fellow	8 hrs +	-	10	5
Korea Institute for National Unification	President, Auditor Senior Research Fellow Chief Administrative Officer	-	-	5	5
Korea Development Institute	President Senior Research Fellow Research Fellow	-	-	78	70
KDI School of Public Policy and Management	Executive Vice president Head of the department Director of the headquarter Head of affiliated organizations Senior Research Fellow Research Fellow	-	-	17	10
Korean Educational Development Institute	President Senior Research Fellow	-	Ga, Na,  Da, Ra	6	7
	Head of the department	8 hrs + for head of the department
Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation	Executive Vice President Senior Research Fellow Head of the department (stated by the organization regulation )	8 hrs + for Head of the department (stated by the organization regulation )	-	2	1
The Korea Transportation Institute	President Vice President Senior Research Fellow Head of the department (Partly applicable)	-	Ga, Na,  Da, Ra	10	7
		-
		8 hrs +
Korea Labor Institute	President Head of the headquarter Senior Research Fellow	- Twice per year One a year		9	7
Korea Rural Economic Institute	President Senior Research Fellow	-	-	10	6
	Research Fellow	8 hrs +	-
Korea Legislation Research Institute	President	-	-	4	4
	Senior Research Fellow Research Fellow Senior Administrative Officer	8 hrs +	-	1	0
Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs	President Vice President Senior Research Fellow	President and Vice president - No criteria for the flight duration Senior Research Fellow - 8 hrs +	-	3	5
Korea Institute of Child Care and Education	President Senior Research Fellow	Flight duration regardless	-	1	2
	Head of the department	8 hrs
Korean Women’s Development Institute	President Vice President (an acting president) Senior Research Fellow (*Head of the department)	- - 8 hrs + 8 hrs +	-	-	-
Korea Institute of Public Finance	Executive President, Head Senior Research Fellow	-	-	23	18
	Research Fellow Director of the Office of Administration Director of Audit	8 hrs + (economy class applied in case of 8 hrs -)	-
Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education & Training	President	-	-	3	4
National Youth Policy Institute	President Senior Research Fellow	-	-	1	2
	Head of the department	8 hrs +	-
Korea Maritime Institute	President Vice President Senior Research Fellow	-	Ga, Na,  Da, Ra	26	13
	Head of the department	8 hrs +	Ga, Na,  Da, Ra
Korea Institute of Public Administration	President	-	-	19	14
Korean Institute of Criminology	President Senior Research Fellow Head of the department	8 hrs + for Heads of the department	Ga, Na, Da, Ra	18	14
Korea Environment Institute	President, Vice President	-	Ga, Na, Da, Ra	18	14
	Senior Research Fellow Head of the department	8 hrs +

- Source: the National Assembly

   

 

  Having investigated the number of cases that the employees of economics, humanities and sociology research societies and their related government think tanks boarded the business class, the result showed that there were 389 cases in 2011 and 351 cases by early October 2012. In general, the business class costs more than 2.2 times of the economy class (Incheon – Newyork).

 

  However, the moral hazard seems to be at its peak considering the fact that most of the institutes provide business class seats to senior research fellows and research fellows on top of the president. In particular, The Korea Development Institute and Korea Institute for International Economic policy have used the business class 148 and 118 times respectively throughout 2 years. The Korea Institute of Public Finance also has used 41 times. These institutes had no criteria for locations in using the business class and they made it possible for everyone in the position of the research fellow to use the business class. On the contrary the institutes that only allowed the president and vice president to use the business class have less cases of the business class usage.

 

 

  

 Even the National Assembly said that “When there is a big difference among the institutes in the criteria of positions and using conditions of boarding the business class in case of the business trips abroad, it may cause a problem of fostering an atmosphere of social disharmony and reduce job satisfaction. As for the institutes that have set loose criteria on positions and using conditions, it is highly likely to waste money because the expenses for overseas flights are allocated too much compared to that of the government, public institutions and other government think tanks.

 

  Park, the presidential elect, has instructed to reduce the budgets of each government department in order to secure resources for the welfare. But seeing at the current state of researchers’ business class usage makes us realize how they splurge our taxes. Lately there was a story of an old man who died after sleeping without turning on the heater. It is doubtful whether the research fellows can study the lives of commoners while using the business class. This kind of practice should certainly disappear in our society.