Public Institutions under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Face Serious Violations of the 'Innovation Guidelines'

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[Yeosu=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Shim Kyung-taek] It has been confirmed that a significant number of public institutions under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, including the Korea Rural Community Corporation, are applying salary and leave regulations that violate the Ministry of Economy and Finance's 「Guidelines on Innovation of Public Institutions」.

According to Joo Chul-hyun, a member of the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee (Jeonnam Yeosu-si Gap), among the 17 public institutions under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs subject to the 「Act on the Management of Public Institutions」, 14 institutions excluding the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), the Korea Forestry Promotion Institute, and the Korean Food Promotion Institute have been paying salaries to employees who received suspension disciplinary actions in violation of the Ministry of Economy and Finance's 「Guidelines on Innovation of Public Institutions」 (hereinafter “Innovation Guidelines”), while conversely applying regulations less favorable than the Innovation Guidelines to employees on leave due to non-work-related illnesses.

In particular, it has been pointed out that correction is needed from the perspective of fairness between institutions, as each institution applies widely varying salary and leave regulations without consistent standards.

According to the Innovation Guidelines by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, all public institutions must operate reasonably based on the welfare level of national public officials, and especially the reasons and duration of leave, as well as salary payments during leave, must comply with the 「National Public Service Act」 and the presidential decree 「Regulations on Public Officials' Salaries, etc.」.

Accordingly, full salary payment is not allowed during the period of suspension disciplinary action, and in the case of non-work-related illness, if the leave period is one year or less, up to 70% of the salary can be paid; if the leave period exceeds one year but is two years or less, up to 50% of the salary can be paid.

However, among the 17 institutions under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, as many as 14 institutions have arbitrarily diminished the effect of suspension disciplinary actions, which are considered severe penalties, by paying employees who received suspension as much as half or as little as one-third of their monthly annual salary.

Conversely, in the case of leave due to non-work-related illness, most affiliated public institutions have established regulations less favorable than the guidelines. Specifically, it was confirmed that they allow leave for shorter periods than those stipulated in the Innovation Guidelines or pay less salary than the guidelines. In particular, the Korea Forestry Promotion Institute and the Korea Institute of Planning and Evaluation for Technology in Food, Agriculture, and Forestry operate ‘unpaid leave’ for employees on leave due to non-work-related illness, paying no salary at all.

Assemblyman Joo Chul-hyun pointed out, “It is a wrong practice to operate widely varying regulations by institution, treating employees who received severe disciplinary actions leniently, while conversely operating welfare benefits that should be sufficiently guaranteed unfavorably.”

He added, “The supervisory agency, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, should take measures to prohibit salary payments to those under suspension disciplinary actions, and unfavorable parts compared to the Ministry of Economy and Finance’s Innovation Guidelines should be corrected to enhance fairness among institutions and strengthen job stability as public officials.”

Yeosu=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Shim Kyung-taek simkt7@asiae.co.kr