On June 23, the Ministry of Personnel Management announced that a partial amendment to the 'Public Employee Travel Expense Regulations' was approved at the Cabinet meeting.
The amendment establishes a basis for paying travel expenses for public employees in the integrated special city according to the previous jurisdictional standards, distinguishing between travel within and outside the workplace.
If travel expenses were to be paid based on the 'within workplace' criteria after the administrative areas are consolidated, it could result in inadequate support for travel costs considering factors like distance and cost of living. Thus, a more reasonable standard has been established.
Under the current regulations, travel expenses for trips within the workplace (within the city or county) are set at 20,000 won for trips longer than four hours and 10,000 won for trips shorter than four hours. For trips outside the workplace (between cities or counties), daily allowances and meal expenses are each set at 25,000 won, while accommodation and transportation costs are reimbursed based on actual expenses, subject to regional limits.
With this amendment, even after the administrative reorganization into an integrated special city, travel expenses for trips outside the workplace will still be based on the previous jurisdictional standards of Jeollanam-do and Gwangju. The accommodation reimbursement cap will be set at 80,000 won for areas within Gwangju and 70,000 won for other areas in Jeonnam.
Additionally, to promote a culture of donation using accumulated airline mileage from business trips, the legal basis for donations outlined in the current regulations will be elevated to a presidential decree under the 'Public Employee Travel Expense Regulations.'
The amendment passed at the Cabinet meeting is set to take effect on July 1, coinciding with the launch of the integrated special city.
Choi Dong-seok, head of the Ministry of Personnel Management, stated, "We have ensured that costs incurred during public service are adequately compensated even after the launch of the integrated special city. I hope that the proper payment of travel expenses and the accumulation of airline mileage will significantly benefit our underprivileged neighbors in society."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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