Cheong, Special Inspection on 'Public Officials' Misconduct' Hindering COVID-19 Overcome (Comprehensive)

Cheong Minjung Office, Prime Minister's Office, Board of Audit and Inspection 'Public Service Discipline Council' Meeting... Checking Policy Execution Obstacles Such as Complacency and Inaction

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] The Blue House has decided to conduct a special inspection on breaches of public service discipline that hinder the overcoming of the 'Novel Coronavirus Infection (COVID-19)'.

On the 11th, the Blue House announced, "The Office of the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs held a meeting of the Public Service Discipline Council (Office of the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs, Prime Minister's Office, Board of Audit and Inspection), which was formed in January 2019 under the supervision of the Anti-Corruption Secretary, and decided to conduct special inspections according to the division of roles among each institution to strengthen national governance through the establishment of public service discipline."

The Blue House stated, "Currently, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic posing threats to the lives and safety of the people along with serious economic crises, this is a critical time when the entire government is making every effort to overcome these challenges."

Archive photo / Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

In particular, the Blue House pointed out, "Each ministry should do its best in actively implementing government measures to overcome the crisis and in promoting key national tasks. However, as the government enters its fourth year, there is a concern that complacency and avoidance of responsibility may occur, leading to a lapse in discipline."

The Office of the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs will deploy a public service inspection team to conduct focused inspections on the execution status of supplementary budgets and other crisis response measures, as well as on disciplinary lapses such as passive or improper administration caused by departmental self-interest. The Blue House also stated, "We will strictly take action against serious breaches of dignity, such as irresponsible behavior that contradicts the national crisis overcoming stance."

The Prime Minister's Office, considering the national emergency situation, will have the Public Service Management Office and the audit offices of each ministry jointly conduct intensive inspections on cases of misconduct such as behavior or speech that go against crisis overcoming efforts, bribery, dereliction of duty, and passive administration including acts of omission.

The Blue House explained, "The Prime Minister's Office will monitor whether major policies for quarantine and economic crisis recovery are properly implemented on the ground. As part of this, they will focus on inspecting public officials' compliance with quarantine guidelines and service discipline, as well as efforts to identify and resolve obstacles to policy implementation."

Meanwhile, the Board of Audit and Inspection plans to continuously conduct focused audits on passive administration such as negligence and inactivity that cause inconvenience to the public in areas directly related to the people's lives and safety or related to permits and regulations.

The Blue House said, "The Board of Audit and Inspection, centered on the Special Investigation Bureau, will check for involvement in vested interests using the positions of high-ranking public officials, and will also conduct focused inspections on corruption such as abuse of financial authority in budgets, subsidies, contracts, and provision of special favors or pursuit of private interests."

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