Prime Minister Kim: "Presidential Election Intensifies... Public Officials Must Strictly Maintain 'Political Neutrality'"

The 33rd Cabinet Meeting

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum is presiding over the Cabinet meeting held at the Government Seoul Office on the 27th. July 27, 2021. Photo by Yonhap News.

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Son Seon-hee] Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum stated on the 27th, "The 20th presidential election has officially begun since the preliminary candidate registration started on the 12th," and urged, "All public officials must strictly maintain political neutrality and act cautiously to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings."

On the same day, Prime Minister Kim presided over the 33rd Cabinet meeting at the Government Seoul Office and reminded, "The National Public Service Act, Local Public Service Act, and Public Official Election Act strictly prohibit political activities by public officials." He added, "Please keep in mind that any involvement in elections while holding public official status can lead to legal responsibility and serious disciplinary action."

As the government conducts a special inspection of public service discipline for two weeks starting from the previous day, Prime Minister Kim said, "In these difficult times due to COVID-19, any misconduct by public officials will be dealt with strictly without any tolerance," and emphasized, "The inspection will cover not only laxity in work discipline and misconduct but also violations of COVID-19 quarantine rules." He continued, "I ask all public officials to take this inspection as an opportunity to reflect on themselves, correct their work discipline, and dedicate themselves to their duties with the determination that everyone is on the front lines fighting COVID-19," adding, "This is the minimum courtesy public officials owe to the people enduring these difficult times."

Meanwhile, the 'Act on the Development of the Living Logistics Service Industry,' enacted and promulgated in January, came into effect on this day. Regarding this, Prime Minister Kim said, "This law contains a social promise that labor, management, and the government have fiercely deliberated on to prevent delivery workers from collapsing due to excessive labor," and added, "I hope this law will serve as a safety net that protects the lives of delivery workers who, even today, brave the heatwave and deliver the surge of parcels caused by COVID-19 right to our doorsteps."