First Deliberation on Public Officials' Deaths in the Line of Duty Operated with Citizen Participation

First Public Participation in ‘Public Official Industrial Accident Compensation Review Committee’


Decisions Reflecting the Sentiment of Bereaved Families and the Public

For the first time, citizens have participated in a meeting to decide on the recognition of public officials who died in the line of duty for their service to the nation.

On May 14, the Ministry of Personnel Management announced that, in order to enhance transparency in the process of reviewing cases of death in the line of duty and to make decisions that the public can empathize with, it had held the first-ever meeting of the “Public Officials Occupational Injury Compensation Deliberation Committee” with citizen participation the previous day.

This citizen participation review of deaths in the line of duty was introduced on a trial basis this year to move away from an expert-centered approach and enable decisions that bereaved families can relate to and that reflect the sentiment of the public.

The citizen review panel is composed of citizens aged 19 and older, selected with consideration for gender, age, and other factors, with 10 to 15 participants per session, excluding stakeholders each time.

In this pilot review, 11 members of the Ministry’s “Citizen Participation Policy Group” took part and deliberated on one agenda item to which the bereaved family had consented.

During the review, the participating panel first listened to explanations about the relevant laws, the circumstances of the case, and the key points at issue. They then observed the committee proceedings in person, witnessing the exchange of opinions among committee members and the statements from the bereaved family. The panel also had the opportunity to directly ask questions and receive answers about any matters they were curious about or needed clarified.

Based on this process, each panel member wrote an individual opinion statement, indicating whether they approved or disapproved of the decision and the reasons for their opinion. The committee took the citizens’ views into account, carefully considering both the job relevance and the level of public consensus before making a final decision.

Although the opinions of the citizen panel are not automatically reflected in the committee’s final decision, they serve as an important basis for decisions that bereaved families can accept and the public can trust.

The Ministry plans to continue piloting citizen participation reviews of deaths in the line of duty through the end of the year to identify areas for institutional improvement. Based on these findings, it aims to refine the review process, including pursuing legislative amendments starting next year.

Choi Dongseok, head of the Ministry of Personnel Management, said, “Recognizing the deaths of public officials in the line of duty is the final tribute to those who have dedicated themselves to the nation,” and added, “We will continue to strive to make reasonable decisions in the review process that bereaved families can relate to and that reflect public sentiment.”

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