Gov’t announces change in rules on official cars

After the JoongAng Ilbo criticized government officials who spent taxpayer money to exchange their official cars for brand-new luxury ones, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security announced Thursday it will expand the mandatory use of official vehicles from five years to seven years and that the vehicles must have logged at least 120,000 kilometers (74,565 miles) before being replaced.

Under the previous rules, vehicles could be replaced if they were used for more than five years, regardless of their mileage.

The JoongAng Ilbo reported on April 9 that in February, the Incheon government purchased a new car for the mayor - who already had two cars, one bought in August 2008 and one in January 2009 - because Mayor Song Young-gil said his other cars were uncomfortable.

On April 23, the JoongAng Ilbo also reported that the head of Incheon’s Jung District spent 52 million won ($47,772) on a Hyundai Genesis in early April, even though the official already had a Ssangyong Chairman luxury car, purchased in September 2007, and a Hyundai Grandeur, which was purchased in 2004.

On Feb. 10, the JoongAng Ilbo reported that Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Mayor Lee Jae-myung, who had declared a moratorium on 520 billion won owed for a City Hall complex built by the state-run construction company Korea Land and Housing Corp., spent 60 million won of city money in December 2010 on a Chairman, as soon as the previous one had been used five years.

According to the Public Administration Ministry, there are about 29,000 government vehicles in use nationwide. The ministry said the new rules will take effect in July. The ministry also said it will encourage government officials to purchase eco-friendly vehicles, and plans to start a campaign called “No driving day,” in which officials don’t drive on a fixed day during a week.

By Kim Hee-jin [heejin@joongang.co.kr]

한글 관련 기사 [중앙일보]

7년 이상 타야 관용차 바꾼다

[내 세금 낭비 스톱!]
5년 타면 바꾸는 ‘포니 규정’
본지 보도로 35년 만에 개정

앞으로 정부 소유의 공용차량은 최소 7년 이상을 타야 바꾼다. 지금까지는 5년만 타면 새 차를 살 수 있었다. 1976년 ‘5년 이상’으로 정해진 지 무려 35년 만이다. 행정안전부는 정부기관 보유차량의 최단운행기준연한을 현행 5~6년에서 7년으로 일괄 상향조정하고 ‘총주행거리 12만㎞ 이상’ 요건을 신설하는 내용의 공용차량관리규정 개정안을 27일부터 입법예고한다. 시행은 7월부터다.

현재의 관용차량 내구연한 기준은 국내 첫 고유모델 차량인 포니가 출시되던 76년 만들어졌다. 당시 정부는 국산차 성능을 감안해 5년 이상 타면 차를 바꿀 수 있도록 했다. 그러나 국산차 성능이 월등히 개선된 현재까지도 이 규정을 고수한다는 점이 본지 보도를 통해 알려지면서 규정 개정 목소리가 많았다.