What Taxpayers Want Matters

New Chief of Congressional Budget Office Joo calls for national budget reflecting taxpayer demands


Chief Joo Young-jin, of the National Assembly Budget Office, right, stands with National Speaker Park Hee-tae after receiving the letter of appointment as chief of the National Assembly Budget Office on March 4 at Speaker Park’s office at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul.


(L)Joo Young-jin, Chief of the National Assembly Budget Office, delivers his inaugural speech at the National Assembly building on March 7.(R)A scene from the forum hosted by the Budget Office March 28-31 on the subject of “Great Discussion on National Life with the People with Chief Joo of the Budget Office on the podium at the National Assembly Building’s large conference room.

FFormer Senior Staff Director of the National Assembly Joo Young-jin was promoted on March 4 to Chief of the National Assembly Budget Office. Speaker Park Hee-tae, in promoting Joo, said his ability to communicate with legislators and other related offices at the parliament, his professionalism, understanding of issues and leadership have been well recognized in picking him among all the candidates for the position in an open hiring.
Before the official appointment, the Steering Committee, chaired by Majority Leader of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) Rep. Kim Moo-sung, concurred with his appointment requested by Speaker Park on March 3.
At an official inaugural ceremony held on March 7 at the Protocol Office at the National Assembly, the new chief of the Budget Office said the office should work for the beneficiaries of the budget with the hope that the budget office will develop further and work for bringing fresh changes. Joo promised that he would listen to what everyone at the office has to say on the management of the office so that the office would be a truly professional organization - neutral and non-partisan.
Following his installation, the budget office chief hosted a forum on the subject of ‘Great Discussion on National Life with the People,’ from March 28-31 at the large conference room at the National Assembly Building and at the National Assembly Protocol Hall.
At the event various demands and opinions of taxpayers were collected to be considered with the purpose of taking into account what the people want in the drawing up of the national budget from the early stages to create a ‘harmonious mountain.’ Professor Wang Sang-han presided over the forum on March 28 where a number of panel members presented their opinions on the formation of the 2012 national budget. The presenters included Reps. Lee Jong-koo of the GNP and Chang Byung-wan of the opposition Democratic Party (DP), and Professors Kang Sok-hoon of Sungshin Women’s University and Lee Man-woo of Korea University. Others included President Kim Yong-ha of the Korea Health and Welfare Research Institute and Kim Tae-il, president of the Good Budget Center.On March 29, the forum panel took up such subjects as welfare, agriculture, forestry & fishery, local government budgets, economy and industry, treasury and taxation, all six subpanels.
The participants in the discussions included a number of lawmakers including Reps. Kang Myung-soon, Shin Song-beom, Park Sang-eun, Yoo Il-ho and Ra Seong-lin, all of the GNP; Kim Choon-jin, Kang Bong-kyun, Kang Chang-il, Woo Jae-chang and Lee Yong-sub of the opposition DP; Lim Yong-ho of the opposition Liberty Forward Party; Chang Ha-kyun of the Alliance for Future Hopes; and Lee Jong-hi of Democratic Labor Party. nw

Photos on courtesy of the National Assembly Budget Office