Kim Hyun-cheol, a professor at Yonsei University College of Medicine, raised concerns about appropriate speaking fees for knowledge workers after being offered 300,000 won by a government agency.
On October 11, Kim posted on his social media, questioning, "What is the fair compensation for knowledge workers?" He emphasized the need for societal discussion on the topic after receiving a request to give a keynote speech at a national forum.
Kim explained that he was asked to provide a framework for discussion before participants engaged in substantive dialogue. He stated, "Having researched and written in this field, I felt I could prepare well with some refinement. If I had started from scratch, it would have taken more than a month. On the day of the event, I would need to be present all day. Physically, it requires at least two days, and considering the foundational work, it amounts to over a month of effort for the lecture."
Due to the Anti-Corruption Act (Kim Young-ran Law), Kim discovered that the offered speaking fee was 300,000 won. He expressed, "Honestly, I felt insulted. Just being present all day is worth about 300,000 won for a typical worker. This does not account for the preparation time involved."
He added, "As a leading researcher in this field, I was invited to speak at a significant national forum. After careful consideration, I decided to offer the lecture for free, as it was a way to preserve my dignity."
It is reported that the agency is now in the process of adjusting the speaking fee.
Kim also referenced Dr. Oh Eun-young, a well-known expert in child and adolescent mental health, whose consultation fees have sparked much debate, reportedly reaching several million won per hour. He remarked, "If it’s the top expert in a field, it’s not necessarily unreasonable to charge that amount for an hour."
In contrast, he noted that the maximum external speaking fee for private university professors is capped at 1 million won for one hour and 2 million won for two hours. He pointed out, "However, a one-hour lecture is not just one hour of work. Preparation can take anywhere from a few hours to one or two weeks."
He questioned, "There are high standards for both knowledge work and physical labor. How should our society treat those at the top of their fields?" He raised the issue of how much compensation should be offered to experts who have accumulated knowledge and experience over many years.
Many commenters shared similar experiences. One user recounted, "I was offered 250,000 won for a 15-minute keynote speech and decided to do it for free instead." Another commenter, claiming to be a professor at Columbia University, noted, "There, I received between $500 and $1,000 per hour, including preparation and travel time, but here in Seoul, I receive 300,000 won, or 260,000 won after tax."
However, some voiced opposing views, arguing that government agencies, public institutions, and libraries operate on limited budgets funded by taxpayer money, making it difficult to offer high speaking fees that align with market rates. One commenter stated, "Government and public institutions have limited budgets to invite excellent speakers, and their purpose is largely to share knowledge with underserved populations. You should earn money in the private sector and dedicate yourself to public service."
In response, Kim expressed concern that such thinking could lead to a situation where only the less qualified individuals remain in public institutions, stating, "This kind of thinking can lower the quality of public institutions."
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.