Im Jae-hyun, Commissioner of the Korea Customs Service, "Organizational Reform and Strengthening Public Service Discipline... Will Restore Public Trust"

Im Jae-hyun, Commissioner of the Korea Customs Service, is ordering organizational reform and strengthening of public service discipline at the National Customs Directors Meeting. Photo by Korea Customs Service

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] “I will focus my efforts on reforming the organization through painstaking efforts and restoring public service discipline.”

On the 29th, Lim Jae-hyun, Commissioner of the Korea Customs Service, made this statement while attending the National Customs Directors Meeting held at the Government Complex Daejeon.

The meeting was organized as a forum where the Commissioner, Vice Commissioners, department heads at the main office, nationwide customs directors, and heads of affiliated agencies gathered to discuss organizational reform and the establishment of public service discipline.

Keeping in mind recent allegations of negligence by staff at Incheon Airport International Postal Customs, the main discussion direction of the meeting was to revitalize the organizational atmosphere and focus on restoring trust.

The Korea Customs Service first shared internal and external perceptions of the current situation based on the results of the recently held “Frontline Field Managers’ Forum” and discussed overall organizational reform measures.

The core of the reform measures discussed included establishing public service discipline for all employees as public officials, strengthening the authority and responsibility of field managers in organizational management, joint accountability in cases of negligence, enhancing audits and inspections, and rebuilding the work management system through accurate recognition of individual employees’ duties and goals.

On the 29th, the '2021 National Customs Directors Meeting' is being held at the Government Daejeon Complex. Photo by Korea Customs Service

Based on the discussions at the meeting, the Korea Customs Service plans to prepare and implement detailed improvement measures.

Additionally, the meeting also covered discussions on the direction of personnel system reforms within the organization, strengthening the roles of customs offices within their jurisdictions, and next year’s work promotion plans.

Commissioner Lim Jae-hyun said, “I understand that the public’s disappointment toward the Korea Customs Service has been significant due to allegations of negligence by staff at Incheon Airport International Postal Customs,” and added, “The Korea Customs Service will apply the strictest standards to itself to restore the lost public trust and will correct improper practices through relentless efforts.”

He also added, “We will strive to ensure that the morale of the majority of employees who work silently for the public is not broken.”