[Editorial] Official Discipline Near End of Administration`s Term with Many Loose Screws

The Korea Labor Welfare Corporation (KLWC) under the Ministry of Labor did not file its tax report and will consequently waste 3 billion won of taxpayers hard-earned money.

This is ludicrous.

If a huge additional tax must be paid just because of a delay in submitting data report of income tax withholders for more than 3 months, did the public corporation staff members work with their eyes closed?

Even the staff and the Ministry of Labor admits "We can`t avoid criticism." The public corporation is speechless.

Withdrawing funds from the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance (IACI) to pay the tax office was also a big mistake, demonstrating the absolute incompetence of the KLWC.

IACI is money deposited by registered companies for insurance in case of `accidents` not `pocket money` that the KLWC can use at random.

Even if it were not so, signs of loose discipline in the government offices is clearly and abundantly visible as the current administration is nearing its end.

`3-Go` and `NIMT` which have recently become popular slogans among government departments, are also one of the signs.

`3-Go` means 3 types of officials: the first is the so-called `butjapko` (holding or clinging) official who clings onto senior officials to stop them from creating new scandals, `dupko` (cover up) officials who conceal documents which can cause problems, and `miruko` (delaying) officials who put off work that needs to be done immediately.

People coined these terms because there are so many officials who only take care of themselves.

`NIMT` means `Not In My Term`, which expresses the negative attitude of officials.

The case of the KLWC reveals lax discipline in the government sector at the administration`s final year and signals a very serious situation.

Nevertheless, the KLWC ended up firing 4 people in charge of the department and tried to cover up the blunder.

The parent organization, the Ministry of Labor, should investigate the case entirely and, if necessary, it should punish the director of the KLWC.

Irresponsible attitude on the part of public officials harms people and must be corrected.

A more severe punishment is required in order to correct the lack of discipline in the government departments.