Ministry of Economy and Finance Ranks Lowest in Integrity for 3 Consecutive Years... Anti-Corruption Policy Evaluation Also Inadequate

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] The Ministry of Strategy and Finance recorded one of the lowest ratings in integrity and anti-corruption policy evaluations.

On the 5th, Jeong Seong-ho, a member of the National Assembly's Planning and Finance Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, analyzed the 'Public Institution Integrity Evaluation' submitted by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission. The Ministry of Strategy and Finance received a comprehensive integrity rating of grade 4 for three consecutive years from 2017 to 2019.

The comprehensive integrity score is calculated by applying deductions for corruption incidents to survey results (weighted sum of external integrity, internal integrity, and policy customer evaluation), classifying institutions into five grades (1 to 5). In 2019, only the Tax Tribunal, which received a grade 5, was rated lower than the Ministry of Strategy and Finance.

Specifically, both internal and external evaluations were poor.

External integrity is evaluated by citizens who have directly experienced administrative services, reflecting public trust. However, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance's rating in this category dropped from grade 3 (2018) to grade 4 (2019).

Internal integrity, evaluated by affiliated employees, remained at an average level with grade 3 for three consecutive years (2017?2019), and the policy customer evaluation was consistently grade 4 for two consecutive years (2018?2019), showing no change.

The Ministry also received a grade 4 in the anti-corruption policy evaluation, classifying it as an institution with ‘insufficient’ anti-corruption measures. It recorded grade 4 for three consecutive years from 2017 to 2019, indicating poor progress in implementing anti-corruption integrity policies.

In detailed categories, the Ministry received grade 5 in establishing anti-corruption implementation plans, building anti-corruption systems, and operating anti-corruption systems, indicating that institutional design and operation for corruption prevention were completely lacking.

Furthermore, efforts to eliminate corruption risks and to spread anti-corruption policies were also rated grade 4, showing a low willingness to improve.

Assemblyman Jeong stated, "It is problematic that the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, which oversees the national economy and finances and evaluates public institutions, ranks among the lowest in integrity and lacks efforts for improvement," and emphasized, "The Ministry must actively strengthen anti-corruption policies to enhance integrity."

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