Public Official Who Used Fake Official Document to Reduce Fine... Court Rules "One-Month Suspension Justified"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] A court ruling has upheld the suspension of a public official who created false official documents to receive a reduction in traffic violation fines.

According to the legal community on the 2nd, the Seoul Administrative Court, Administrative Division 2 (Presiding Judge Jeongmin Lee) ruled against public official A, who worked at a municipal hospital in Seoul and filed a lawsuit against the Seoul Metropolitan Government requesting the cancellation of the suspension. The court stated, "Considering that the plaintiff repeatedly created false documents and actually received a reduction in fines, the violation cannot be regarded as minor," and added, "The suspension is justified."

Previously, A was fined approximately 160,000 KRW for four traffic violations, including bus lane violations and illegal parking or stopping, in 2018. In response, A fabricated false official documents claiming urgent parking due to blood supply needs and sent them to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, resulting in a reduction of 130,000 KRW in fines. Upon discovering this misconduct, Seoul Metropolitan Government imposed a one-month suspension on A, citing a violation of the public official's duty of diligence. A filed a lawsuit challenging the suspension, acknowledging the disciplinary reasons but arguing that the suspension was excessive.

However, the court ruled that A's suspension was justified. The court explained, "The disciplinary action is not significantly unreasonable or unjust considering the plaintiff's level of misconduct and social norms," and added, "According to the former Seoul Metropolitan Government Public Official Disciplinary Regulations, fabrication and use of false documents warrant disciplinary action of suspension or higher, so it cannot be considered irrational." A has appealed the first-instance ruling.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.