Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport "Notification of Dismissal to Gu Bonhwan... Confirmation of Legal Violations" ... Refutes Claims of Illegal Audit

Former President Leaves National Assembly Hearing Early and Goes Straight Home for a Meal
Negligent in Preparedness and Reported False Information to the Assembly
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport: "Official Residence and Illegal Investigation Claims Are Also Not True"

On the afternoon of the 16th, Koo Bon-hwan, President of Incheon International Airport Corporation, held a press conference at the Incheon International Airport Corporation in Jung-gu, Incheon, stating, "In early September, I was told by a senior official from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to voluntarily resign," and added, "I was not told the reason why I had to leave." (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Jiwon] The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 29th that an audit conducted on Koo Bon-hwan, President of Incheon International Airport Corporation, confirmed violations of related laws such as the Public Institution Management Act and the Anti-Corruption Act.

The Ministry proceeded with related procedures, including recommending Koo’s dismissal to the Public Institution Management Committee, and finalized his dismissal on the 24th, officially notifying the corporation the day before.

While disclosing the audit results, the Ministry refuted point by point the issues raised by Koo’s side regarding audit procedures and illegal home intrusion.

According to the Ministry, reports related to Koo’s misconduct were received by relevant agencies in April, and after a preliminary investigation, the case was transferred to the Ministry on June 4. The Ministry notified the corporation of the start of the investigation on June 9, then began on-site inspections and audits, finalizing the results on the 8th.

The audit revealed that on October 2 last year, the day of the National Assembly inspection, Koo left the inspection venue with permission to handle typhoon measures but immediately left work and dined with acquaintances, neglecting emergency preparedness.

In particular, Koo was found to have concealed these actions afterward, submitted false reports about the day’s schedule to the Ministry and the National Assembly, and ordered the unfair suspension of corporation employees, violating his 'duty of loyalty' as the head of a public institution.

The Ministry explained, "We requested dismissal of the president, holding him accountable for neglecting his duties and undermining fairness in personnel management."

Regarding criticism that the Ministry violated related regulations by skipping the re-examination procedure of the audit results, the Ministry stated, "Audit re-examination and dismissal of public institution heads are separate procedures governed by different laws. It is not necessary to complete re-examination before proceeding with dismissal, and no re-examination requests have been made so far."

It added, "During the audit and the Public Institution Management Committee review, Koo had ample opportunity to present his opinions."

The Ministry also dismissed Koo’s claim that the government illegally forced a search of his official residence during the audit as "not true."

According to the Ministry, the audit personnel entered the residence on June 11 with the consent of the residence management staff. Although reports indicated Koo did not visit the residence on the day of the National Assembly inspection, Koo’s side claimed he did, necessitating an on-site investigation.

The Ministry explained, "Since Koo’s appointment on April 16 last year until the day of the visit, multiple officials testified that he used the residence about twice over approximately one year and two months."

Regarding Koo’s claim that no special response was needed because the weather warning was lifted at 6 p.m. on the inspection day, the Ministry stated, "As of 6 p.m., the typhoon was still in the sea southwest of Mokpo, and by the end of the inspection at 10:30 p.m., it had landed near Mokpo." It emphasized, "Given the dynamic typhoon situation, the National Assembly allowed institution heads to leave to thoroughly prepare, so it was necessary for the on-site head to go to Incheon Airport and ensure full typhoon preparedness."

The Ministry acknowledged that Koo’s suspension of an employee who demanded an explanation after being unfairly treated was also improper.

The Ministry explained, "The employee was exercising the right to testify or express grievances about personnel orders, which does not justify suspension. Nevertheless, Koo ordered the suspension to be enforced and strongly urged the personnel committee to decide on the suspension."

Meanwhile, on the 16th, Koo held a press conference at Incheon International Airport Corporation in Jung-gu, Incheon, strongly opposing his dismissal. He claimed, "In early September, a senior Ministry official told me to resign voluntarily," adding, "I was not told the reason why I had to leave."

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