[2021 National Audit] Salary Paid to 'Suspended' Employees... Ministry of Economy and Finance Guideline Violations in Public Institutions under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

14 Agencies Violated Excluding aT, Korea Forestry Promotion Institute, and Korean Food Promotion Institute
Jucheolhyun "Ministry of Agriculture Should Ban Salary Payments to Those Disciplined for Honesty"

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] It has been confirmed that most public institutions under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, including the Korea Rural Community Corporation, are applying salary and leave regulations that violate the Ministry of Strategy and Finance's 'Guidelines on Innovation of Public Institutions.'

According to Joo Cheol-hyun, a member of the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee from the Democratic Party, on the 20th, among the 17 institutions under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs subject to the 'Act on the Management of Public Institutions,' 14 institutions except the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), Korea Forest Service Promotion Agency, and Korean Food Promotion Institute were found to have violated the innovation guidelines.

They paid salaries to employees who received suspension disciplinary actions and applied regulations less favorable to employees than the innovation guidelines in cases of leave due to non-work-related illnesses. There is no consistent standard, and salary and leave regulations vary greatly by institution. Complaints may arise regarding the lack of fairness among institutions.

According to the innovation guidelines, all public institutions must operate reasonably based on the welfare level of national public officials. In particular, reasons and periods for leave and salary payments during leave must follow the 'National Public Service Act' and the presidential decree 'Regulations on Public Officials' Salaries, etc.' During the period of suspension disciplinary action, full salary cannot be paid, and in cases of leave due to non-work-related illness, if the leave period is one year or less, only 70% of the salary can be paid; if it exceeds one year but is two years or less, only 50% of the salary can be paid.

Among the 14 institutions under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, employees who received suspension disciplinary actions were paid as much as half to as little as one-third of their annual monthly salary. This arbitrarily undermines the effect of suspension disciplinary actions, which correspond to severe disciplinary measures. In cases of leave due to non-work-related illness, most institutions established regulations less favorable than the guidelines. They allowed leave for shorter periods than those stipulated in the innovation guidelines or paid less salary. It was found that institutions such as the Korea Forest Service Promotion Agency and the Korea Institute of Planning and Evaluation for Technology in Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries operate 'unpaid leave' for employees on leave due to non-work-related illness, providing no salary at all.

Assemblyman Joo said, "The supervisory agency, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, must take measures to prohibit salary payments to employees under suspension disciplinary action," and added, "The parts that are less favorable than the innovation guidelines should be corrected to improve fairness among institutions and strengthen job stability as public officials."

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