Kim Kyung-ho, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu, Smiled Broadly... Why?

Gwangjin-gu Achieves Grade 2 in Comprehensive Integrity ... A Milestone in 12 Years

Integrity Perception and Integrity Effort Both Rated Grade 2, Result of Multifaceted Efforts Since the 8th Elected Term

"0% Experience Rate of Bribery and Entertainment Among Work-Related Persons," Recognized by Residents as an Honest Gwangjin

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Kim Kyung-ho, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu, smiled broadly.

Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Kyung-ho) achieved a remarkable feat by attaining Grade 2 in the '2022 Public Institution Comprehensive Integrity Evaluation' conducted by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) for the first time in 12 years.

The ACRC announced the comprehensive integrity scores on the 26th, evaluating 569 public institutions including central administrative agencies, local governments, education offices, and public service-related organizations, reflecting both integrity perception and integrity efforts.

The comprehensive integrity score is evaluated based on survey results from residents who have experience dealing with the institution and its employees, anti-corruption efforts, and the status of corruption incidents.

In this evaluation, Gwangjin-gu received Grade 2 for both integrity perception and integrity efforts, resulting in an overall Grade 2 comprehensive integrity score.

For 12 years during the 5th to 7th elected terms, the comprehensive integrity score remained stagnant at Grades 4 to 5.

In particular, the internal integrity score, which assesses organizational integrity, fairness in personnel and budget execution, and fairness in work instructions, remained at Grades 4 to 5.

This reflected the employees' dissatisfaction with the district administration.

However, since the inauguration of Mayor Kim Kyung-ho in the 8th elected term, various efforts have begun to improve weak areas in internal integrity, including his promise to "be a good friend."

First, to raise awareness of integrity among members within the organization, the district implemented ▲Integrity Pledge Ceremony ▲Relay Empathy Integrity Broadcast ▲Integrity Ontact Learning ▲Integrity Live Concert ▲Integrity Newsletter Publication ▲One Integrity Practice Task per Department.

Additionally, the district took the lead in fostering a healthy workplace culture by ensuring transparency and fairness in personnel management and budget execution through ▲Permanent Operation of Personnel Grievance Counseling Window ▲Fair and Transparent Budget Execution ▲Formation of a Horizontal Organizational Culture.

Alongside this, the district strengthened monitoring of corruption-prone areas and operated an Integrity Happy Call to preemptively block corruption factors, enhancing communication with residents based on kindness and trust in district administration.

This ACRC survey was conducted from August to October last year, after the launch of the 8th elected term.

Notably, in the external integrity evaluation, the district received a 0% experience rate of bribery and entertainment among work-related persons, clearly affirming the district's integrity to its residents.

As a result of these multifaceted efforts, the district was able to elevate its comprehensive integrity evaluation to a higher rank for the first time in 12 years.

Mayor Kim Kyung-ho of Gwangjin-gu said, "Achieving Grade 2 in the integrity evaluation is a meaningful outcome of all employees continuously communicating and striving to establish an integrity culture," adding, "Since Gwangjin-gu’s three major policy principles are fairness, communication, and kindness, we will continue to work for proper and transparent district administration through kind and open communication with both residents and employees."

He also evaluated, "This result also reflects the employees' expectations for the integrity efforts of the executives during the 8th elected term."