The National Assembly Budget Office (NABO) held the 20th-anniversary ceremony at 10 am on Thursday, October 19, in the main hall on the third floor of the NABO building. The event was attended by Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, the Democratic Party (DP) Floor Leader Hong Ik-pyo, DP Rep. Min Hongchul and Jin Sunmee, the People Power Party (PPP) Rep. Kim Sungwon, among other guests, and NABO staff.
The ceremony consisted of a commemorative speech by Cho Euysup, Chief of NABO, presentation of a merit plaque by the Speaker of the National Assembly, encouraging remarks by Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, congratulatory remarks by the floor leaders of the ruling and opposition parties, and a congratulatory performance. After the ceremony, special guests, including Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, visited a special exhibition on the 20-year history of NABO.
The Speaker's merit plaque is awarded to lawmakers who have utilized NABO’s parliamentary support services to strengthen the stature of the National Assembly and contribute to the development of NABO. DP Rep. Min Hongchul (Gimhae-si, Gyeongnam), DP Rep. Jin Sunmee (Gangdong-gu, Seoul), PPP Rep. Lim Leeja (Mungyeong-si, Sangju-si, Gyeongbuk), DP Rep. Han Byungdo (Iksan-si, Jeonbuk), and PPP Rep. Kim Sungwon (Yeoncheon-gun, Dongducheon-si, Gyeonggi-do) received the merit plaque.
In his encouraging remarks, Speaker Kim Jin-pyo said, "NABO, which was established to strengthen the National Assembly's fiscal control, has been striving to live up to these expectations for the past 20 years," and asked NABO staff to "unleash your wisdom, experience, and expertise so that the National Assembly can have in-depth debates and make rational policy decisions."
Hong Ik-pyo, DP Floor Leader, said that the role of NABO is essential in enhancing the public's understanding of national policies and fiscal management, and he hopes that today's anniversary ceremony will serve as an opportunity for the office to grow into an even greater institution in the next two decades based on its 20 years of achievements.
In his congratulatory video, PPP Floor Leader Yun Jaeok evaluated NABO as the best fiscal institution that Korea trusts, and said, “I hope that it will continue to be a reliable support for establishing sound fiscal policy and driving sustainable growth."
In his commemorative remarks, Chief Cho said that the various achievements over the past 20 years were thanks to the support of the Speaker and other lawmakers and the unremitting efforts of the staff, and vowed to "do our best to become the best fiscal institution recognized and trusted by the National Assembly and the Korean people."