Numerous Public Officials Listed in Illegal Drinking Establishments' Prostitution Ledgers
Lenient on Sexual Misconduct Cases, Ministry of Employment Staff Receive Only 2-Month Pay Cut, Light Punishment
[Asia Economy Culture Young Intern Reporter] Following public officials affiliated with the Chungbuk Office of Education, multiple public officials and military personnel in Cheongju City have been caught on charges of prostitution. On the 19th, the Chungbuk Police Agency booked without detention and is investigating A, a grade 9 administrative staff member at an elementary school in the province, on charges of violating the Act on the Punishment of Acts of Arranging Sexual Traffic. A is suspected of engaging in prostitution at an illegal massage parlor.
The police seized prostitution ledgers from the business owner and, during the investigation of clients, identified the identities of more than 10 active public officials, including A. Two employees affiliated with district offices in Cheongju City were also booked without detention on charges of violating the Act on the Punishment of Acts of Arranging Sexual Traffic.
Public officials from the National Tax Service were also caught in prostitution scandals. Five tax officials received bribes and sexual favors from a tax accountant office manager between 2015 and 2017. They leaked personal information such as addresses, contact numbers, and the latter digits of resident registration numbers of specific individuals requested by the manager, provided convenience in investigations and tax work, and received bribes, for which they were sentenced to imprisonment and fines.
Sexual misconduct among public officials in Yongin Special City has continuously surfaced, putting public service discipline under scrutiny. According to Yongin Special City on the 6th, the police recently booked five public officials, including team leader A from Yongin City Hall, on prostitution charges and forwarded them to the prosecution without detention with a recommendation for indictment.
A public official in Yongin City lamented, "If charged with prostitution, a personnel committee should be convened, and disciplinary procedures such as suspension or reassignment should be carried out, but the city has taken no action so far," adding, "To the extent that other local governments even call this a 'Kingdom of Animals' stigma." Given this situation, some public officials in Yongin have expressed self-reflection, citing a lack of awareness about sexual crimes as the reason for the repeated sexual misconduct.
Despite the continuous occurrence of prostitution incidents involving public officials, most have been lenient toward sexual misconduct in public service. Although local governments conduct integrated education on preventing the four major types of violence?sexual harassment, sexual violence, domestic violence, and prostitution?targeting high-ranking public officials, voices point out that public officials still lack moral awareness.
It is also pointed out as a problem that even when disciplinary actions are taken, they are limited to mild punishments. For example, in March this year, a Ministry of Employment and Labor employee who engaged in prostitution with a foreign woman received only a two-month pay cut. Im Eija, a member of the People Power Party, emphasized, "Disciplinary actions against public officials are too lenient, leading to continuous deterioration of service discipline," and urged, "More stringent and effective measures must be established to firmly establish public service discipline."
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