"Following Last Year Again This Year!" ... Busan Education Office Announces Comprehensive Plan to Achieve First-Class Integrity Rating

Busan Office of Education.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Du-yeol] The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education is establishing and implementing the '2022 Comprehensive Plan for Improving Integrity' with the goal of achieving a first-grade overall integrity rating this year.

The comprehensive plan was established based on the results of the 'Integrity Promotion Planning Team Meeting' held on the 27th, chaired by Superintendent Kim Seok-jun.

The comprehensive plan includes four major promotion strategies and 20 tasks: 'Proactive Response to Corruption Risks,' 'Strengthening Corruption Control Systems,' 'Focused Improvement of Corruption-Vulnerable Areas,' and 'Expansion of Anti-Corruption and Integrity Culture.'

As part of the 'Proactive Response to Corruption Risks' strategy, the plan strengthens early detection systems by operating an 'Anti-Corruption Intensive Reporting Week' to encourage corruption reporting and spread consensus on eradicating corruption, as well as conducting online monitoring targeting internal and external customers.

To activate reporting and establish an effective whistleblower protection system, the 'Attorney Proxy Reporting System' will be introduced for the first time this year. The direct 'Integrity Phone' reporting system to the auditor will also be expanded and operated.

To improve internal integrity, the office will develop the 'Gapjil Counseling Chatbot (Gonggam e)' for the first time this year, enabling easy and convenient counseling and reporting.

The education office also operates the auditor-direct 'Gonggam Phone (Happy SOS).' The Gonggam Phone is a system where internal staff can request counseling regarding unfair work orders or gapjil, and the auditor responds directly either face-to-face or remotely.

Under the 'Strengthening Corruption Control Systems' strategy, the office will enhance the commitment to integrity practice both internally and externally by operating the Integrity Promotion Planning Team chaired by the superintendent and improving the citizen auditor system.

Plans will also be made and implemented to enhance the enforcement of anti-corruption systems such as the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act, which will take effect from May 19.

The 'Focused Improvement of Corruption-Vulnerable Areas' strategy will concentrate on managing five vulnerable areas: ▲ enhancing the perceived integrity in construction management and supervision ▲ securing transparency and expertise in goods contracts ▲ improving integrity in sports team operations ▲ strengthening accountability in after-school program operations ▲ and reinforcing the public nature of private educational institutions.

Regarding sports team operations, a special audit will be conducted related to illegal sponsorship funds, which appeared as corruption experiences in last year's integrity measurement results.

Efforts will also focus on improving parents' awareness of integrity through small-scale initiatives such as 'Visiting School Sports Team Integrity Consulting' and 'Parent Satisfaction Surveys.'

The 'Expansion of Anti-Corruption and Integrity Culture' strategy includes providing customized education by target groups to strengthen integrity capabilities and introducing and implementing for the first time this year the 'Visiting Integrity Education' training that supports professional instructors for school staff.

Various integrity cultural activities will also be promoted, such as operating the (tentative name) Integrity Culture and Youth Supporters and designating excellent schools for integrity cultural activities.

The 'Integrity Culture and Youth Supporters' is an integrity council composed of newly appointed public officials within three years of appointment, aimed at discovering creative ideas suitable for the youth perspective and reflecting them in policies.

The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education has decided to abolish the school integrity effort evaluation, which has been implemented since 2015, starting this year.

This measure is intended to induce voluntary participation from the school field in various institution-led integrity policies by leveling up the integrity efforts in schools and significantly reducing the integrity-related workload of teaching staff.

Auditor Lee Il-kwon said, "Following the rise in integrity last year, we received a first-grade rating in the corruption prevention policy evaluation," and added, "We will do our best to achieve a first-grade integrity rating this year through continuous institutional improvements and self-purification activities in corruption-vulnerable areas without complacency."

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