[Exclusive] Government to Eradicate 'Executive Reception Day'... Institution Names to Be Disclosed

# At a district office in a local government, the role of "meal secretary" persisted until recently. This person was responsible for checking the preferred menus of superiors, making restaurant reservations, and collecting money from staff to host meals for higher-ranking officials. There was even a roster dictating the order in which superiors were to be treated, meaning lower-ranking employees had to shoulder a significant expense each month.

The government is moving to publicly disclose the names of institutions in order to eliminate the practice of "Executive Reception Day" in the public sector. Despite various measures taken to eradicate this harmful custom, it continues as a matter of routine in some workplaces.

According to local governments on February 2, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, in cooperation with the Ministry of Personnel Management, will conduct the third fact-finding survey on "Executive Reception Day" as early as March. It has been confirmed that an official document outlining the recent survey and the procedures for disclosing institution names based on the results has been sent to each local government.

The government has taken various measures to abolish the 'Executive Reception Day,' but in some places, it continues as a customary practice. After conducting a survey, the government will take strong action by publicly disclosing the names of the institutions based on the results.

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"Executive Reception Day" refers to the practice where public officials take turns treating their superiors to meals at their own expense. In the first fact-finding survey conducted in November 2024, which targeted 150,000 public officials from central ministries and local governments, 18.1% of respondents said they had experienced "Executive Reception Day" in the past year. In the second survey in April 2025, 11.1% reported having such experience.

The issue was more severe in local governments than in central ministries. The proportion of those who had experienced "Executive Reception Day" was 10.1% in central ministries-about one in ten-but 23.9% in local governments, or nearly one in four, more than double the rate. This gap was also evident in the frequency of the practice. In central government agencies, the most common frequency was once or twice a month (46.1%), while in local governments, it was once or twice a week (45.9%).

This is why the government has resorted to the drastic measure of "publicly disclosing institution names." Although the practice of "Executive Reception Day" is on the decline, it is still ongoing in some workplaces, where it is regarded as a form of "communication."

Prime Minister Kim Minseok also ordered "immediate action." At a work briefing last month, he questioned the survey results indicating a decline in "Executive Reception Day" and instructed that the practice be eliminated immediately.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety plans to disclose the names of institutions with high rates of "Executive Reception Day" experience based on the fact-finding survey scheduled for March. An official from the ministry explained, "Our goal is not just to reduce the practice, but to eliminate it entirely by encouraging voluntary action in the field," adding, "We have conveyed this firm position to some institutions via video conference to ensure eradication."

However, the methodology for the fact-finding survey, which will serve as the basis for public disclosure, is still under internal discussion. The survey is conducted through the internal network for public officials, but differences in total staff numbers and participation rates by institution make it difficult to establish clear criteria for disclosure. The official stated, "A basic number of responses is needed to ensure the representativeness of the results, so establishing such detailed criteria is the priority."

To achieve the complete elimination of "Executive Reception Day," the government has set up an anonymous reporting center within the electronic personnel management system (e-Saram) and is accepting reports from public officials at central government agencies. If a whistleblower provides specific details such as the alleged offender, time, place, and circumstances of the incident, the information is forwarded to the audit department of the relevant ministry. If, after reviewing the details, an audit is deemed warranted, an investigation will be conducted. In cases where the misconduct is serious and intentional, disciplinary actions such as dismissal or termination may be imposed, going beyond a simple warning.

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