Government to Conduct 'Special Public Service Discipline Inspection' for Two Weeks from the 19th... "Zero Tolerance Policy"

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Son Seonhee] The government will conduct a 'Special Inspection for Establishing Public Service Discipline' for two weeks from the 19th of this month to the 1st of next month. The inspection will cover all ministries as well as affiliated public institutions, checking service conditions, compliance with COVID-19 quarantine rules, and various misconducts.

On the morning of the 9th, Koo Yoon-cheol, Director of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, held a meeting of auditors from 47 central administrative agencies at the Government Complex Seoul and stated, "Public officials must faithfully perform their duties with a neutral attitude regardless of government changes as servants to the people," adding, "Strict measures are necessary against public officials who engage in inappropriate behavior that does not meet the public's expectations."

He also urged, "Even after the special inspection, monthly checks on public officials' service management should be conducted under the responsibility of agency heads, and cases of disciplinary laxity should be severely punished under the principle of zero tolerance to enhance discipline within the public service."

This meeting was a follow-up to the 'Meeting of Ministers on Public Service Discipline and Anti-Corruption' chaired by Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum on the 7th, where the following were discussed: ▲ the plan to establish public service discipline in the second half of 2021 ▲ measures to establish discipline at the Public Trade Commission and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport ▲ and countermeasures to eradicate sexual misconduct in the public sector.

In particular, the Fair Trade Commission and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, where recent cases of disciplinary laxity occurred, agreed to prepare their own discipline establishment plans. The Fair Trade Commission, whose senior officials left their workplaces without permission and engaged in misconduct such as drinking, will promptly investigate and strictly punish the offenders. Additionally, until August, high-intensity audits on service and power abuse will be conducted, and for senior officials, a one-strike-out system will be implemented where even a single service violation results in immediate sanctions.

Regarding the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, which shook the trust foundation of the public service due to the land speculation scandal involving employees of its affiliated agency, Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH), dedicated audit teams will be formed for each public institution. In particular, security management of departments handling non-public information will be strengthened, and measures to eradicate unfair gains through internal government use, such as expanding the obligation to register assets, will be prepared.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family will establish 'Countermeasures to Eradicate Sexual Misconduct in the Public Sector,' focusing on preventing secondary damage within organizations. Related laws, including the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Disciplinary Act and the Disciplinary Rules for Local Public Officials, will be amended to discipline secondary harassment.

Especially, to change the perception of sexual misconduct among senior officials, starting from October, if agency heads do not participate in 'Sexual Harassment Prevention Education,' their names will be disclosed. Separate education on preventing sexual harassment, sexual violence, and other violence will also be conducted for senior officials.

The government stated, "We will focus our capabilities to detect and strictly deal with various inappropriate behaviors such as sexual misconduct and drinking, as well as passive administrative behaviors, to prevent the recurrence of incidents that damage public trust in the government."

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