Public Officials to Pay Utility Fees for Official Residences Themselves... Gyeongbuk Assembly Member Ginji Lim Proposes Ordinance Amendment

117 Official Residences in North Gyeongsang Province

Ginji Lim, Member of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Assembly (The Minjoo Party of Korea, Proportional Representation), announced on the 24th that he has sponsored a partial amendment to the “Ordinance on the Management of Public Property of North Gyeongsang Province.” The amendment requires that users of official residences operated by North Gyeongsang Province and its funded or affiliated institutions be responsible for public utility fees such as electricity and water charges.

This amendment was drafted in response to ongoing calls for improvements in the operation of official residences by local governments. Issues regarding the increase in the number of official residences and the appropriateness of support for their operating costs in certain local governments have been raised through government audits and media reports, prompting the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to recommend improvements in the management of official residences.

Gyeongbuk Provincial Council member Jin Lim

In fact, the number of official residences in local governments nationwide increased by about 18.4%, from 1,828 in 2021 to 2,165 in 2025. It has been found that some local governments have established ordinances that provide grounds for supporting management fees and public utility charges for official residences.

The main provisions of the proposed amendment include abolishing the existing classification system for official residences and establishing new usage criteria based on the necessity for work performance. The amendment also clarifies the principle that individuals using official residences must personally bear the costs of electricity, water, communication charges, and apartment management fees.

An official from the North Gyeongsang Provincial Assembly stated, “There are a total of 117 official residences managed by North Gyeongsang Province, including those at business offices and funded or affiliated institutions,” and added, “Until now, the public utility charges for official residences have been covered by the budget, but once this ordinance is implemented, users of official residences will be required to pay their own water and electricity bills and other public utility charges.”

Ginji Lim emphasized, “Official residences are not for the convenience of public officials, but are public assets intended to support their smooth work performance,” and added, “Through this ordinance amendment, we aim to enhance fairness and transparency in the management of official residences and establish a public property management system that the residents of the province can trust.”

The ordinance bill sponsored by Ginji Lim is scheduled to be finalized at the plenary session of the North Gyeongsang Provincial Assembly on the 26th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.