Jinyoung: "Didn't Know I Was Getting 2 Million Won a Month"... Why He Hesitated to Return It

After it was revealed that Jinyoung, co-chair of the Popular Culture Exchange Committee who had stated he was working without pay, has been receiving about 2 million won a month in position-duty expenses, he explained that he "did not know."

He also expressed his stance that he would like to return the money if possible.

Appearing on SBS Radio's "Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show" today (October 6), Co-Chair Jinyoung responded to a question about why he claimed to be working without pay while receiving business operation expenses.

[Jinyoung / Co-Chair of the Popular Culture Exchange Committee: What you are saying is completely valid. First of all, I didn't know I was receiving it. (Lawyer Kim Tae-hyun: Well, that could happen.) Though I feel so sorry about it.]

Co-Chair Jinyoung previously appeared on the MBC entertainment show "Omniscient Interfering View" in August, stating regarding his work as co-chair that "I don't receive an annual salary."

He explained that while he could receive pay if he chose a full-time position, he decided to serve part-time, and a subtitle reading "Refused both salary and vehicle" was also shown during the broadcast at the time.

However, Representative Bae Hyun-jin of the People Power Party revealed on September 29 that, after reviewing government budget disbursement records, Co-Chair Jinyoung has been receiving about 2 million won each month in position-duty expenses since November of last year, as well as a corporate card for business operation expenses, overseas business trip allowances, and support staff.

Representative Bae argued that the position-duty expenses are paid for performing public duties and constitute "a de facto salary."

In response, Co-Chair Jinyoung stated that when he learned he was receiving the expenses, he felt more inclined to return them, saying, "I said I would work without pay, so I won't accept it."

His point was that rather than having his sincerity doubted and causing setbacks to the momentum of the committee's activities over 2 million won, it would be better not to receive it in order to maintain his original principle of serving unpaid.

However, he explained that he has concerns regarding whether he can actually return the funds.

[Jinyoung / Co-Chair of the Popular Culture Exchange Committee: If I don't receive the business operation expenses, people might ask the next person, "Jinyoung didn't take it, so why are you taking it?" If that happens, I felt it would make it difficult for the next person to do the job.]

Co-Chair Jinyoung is also scheduled to appear tomorrow (October 7) as an institutional witness at the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee parliamentary audit.

Co-Chair Jinyoung stated that he will explain to the National Assembly that his goal is to serve the public interest, saying he believes people will trust his sincerity regarding his committee work only if he appears as a witness subject to punishment for perjury.

(Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Seo Byung-wook | Graphics by Yook Do-hyun | Produced by SBS Digital News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.