225 Corrupt Public Workers Caught by Inspection during Roh Administration

Among the staffers of central administration bodies and public enterprises caught engaging in corruption by the inspection by Office of the Prime Minister, during the current administration, staffers of the Ministry of Education & Human Resources Development and the Korea Rural Community & Agriculture Corporation comprised the biggest portion.

But a document on National Assembly inspection the Office for Government Policy Coordination, handed to Grand National Party lawmaker Kim Jeong-hun of the National Policy Committee, on October 4, showed that more than half of them were only given weak notices or warnings.

Between 2003 and August of this year, 225 central ministry employees were caught, and heavy punishments such as discharges or suspensions were only applied to only 36 employees; accounting for only 16.3%.

Only one out of ten (22 persons, 10.4%) left their positions through dismissal or discharge. Light punishments such as salary cuts or reprimands were imposed on only 61 government employees (27.6%), and only 124 of them (56.1%) were given notices or warnings. Among central administrative bodies, the Ministry of Education & Human Resources Development took up the biggest portion with 56 employees, and the Ministry of Construction and Transportation (24), National Police Agency (19), National Tax Service (14), and National Railroad Administration (13), followed in order.

By in the category of corruption, 182 out of 225 were caught receiving goods or entertainment. ‘Slack discipline’ (42 persons, 18.6%) or ‘dignity damage’ (1 person, 0.5%) were relatively low. But out of government employees caught for receiving goods or entertainment, less than half were given disciplinary action that correspond to light punishments (salary cut, reprimand) or more. Korea Rural Community & Agriculture Corporation employees filled the biggest portion among public enterprises. Korea Electric Power Corporation (15), National Railroad Corporation (15), and Korea National Housing Corporation (7) followed in order.

But among the 90% of corrupt staffers of public enterprises caught for receiving goods or entertainment, 42.2%, or 38 out of 90, were given heavy punishments of suspension or above, showing a stark contrast to the central ministries. A relatively high number of staffers, 22.2%, or 19, were given heavy disciplinary action such as dismissal or discharge.

woogija@donga.com