[Exclusive] Visited Machu Picchu on Business Trip to Peru... Korea Customs Service Responds, "Were You Only at the Hotel on the Weekend?"

Customs Authorities' Overseas Trip to Peru in April Last Year
Origin Investigation Was the Purpose, but Visited Machu Picchu
Customs Service: "Should Rest on Weekends, Not Just Stay at the Hotel"

It has been confirmed that a Korea Customs Service employee took a leisure tourism trip to Machu Picchu during an origin investigation conducted locally in Peru. Although this may violate the principles of the Public Officials Service Regulations, the Korea Customs Service maintains that there is no problem since it was not an official schedule.

Panoramic View of Machu Picchu, Peru [Image Source=Yonhap News]

According to a comprehensive report by Asia Economy on the 14th, on April 24 last year, employees of the Korea Customs Service and customs officers departed for Peru to verify the origin of mung beans imported into Korea. Since last year, customs authorities have been conducting origin verification investigations targeting companies importing Peruvian mung beans, and this trip was made for local information gathering prior to the investigation. During the 12-night, 15-day itinerary, the verification team visited the northwest coastal areas (Lambayeque, La Libertad) and the southeastern mountainous region (Cusco) for on-site inspections of production sites.

According to a tip-off, some employees belonging to the verification team visited Machu Picchu, one of Peru’s representative tourist destinations, during the business trip. Machu Picchu is an ancient fortress city of the Inca civilization located in Peru, about 80 km northwest of Cusco. An anonymous source stated, “There was a local tourism schedule for Machu Picchu during the business trip,” and criticized, “It is unreasonable for public officials to engage in tourism during an overseas business trip.” It has not been confirmed whether transportation or interpretation expenses for tourism were paid with official travel expenses or out of pocket.

The Korea Customs Service explained, “After checking with the business trip personnel, there was no fact of visiting Machu Picchu during the verification schedule,” and added, “We have no obligation to confirm where employees went on days off such as weekends and holidays after the schedule ended.” A Korea Customs Service official said, “There is no regulation prohibiting (tourism) on weekends,” and questioned, “Is it common sense that public officials should rest on weekends, but must stay only in the hotel during that time?”

Ministry of Personnel Management: "Avoid Tourism and Leisure Trips... Plans Should Be Made Even on Holidays"

However, the ‘Regulations on Disciplinary Actions for National Public Officials’ stipulate that in order to avoid tourism and leisure visits during overseas business trips, in-depth plans should be established mainly by a few institutions. The Ministry of Personnel Management responded, “It clearly states that tourism and leisure trips should be avoided, so plans must be made within the scope of fulfilling the purpose of the business trip,” and “Each institution’s overseas business trip review committee should carefully examine and ensure that the trip is conducted according to the official purpose of the overseas business trip.”

It was also explained that if weekends are included during an overseas business trip, at least minimal plans should be made and the institution should verify them even on holidays. A Ministry of Personnel Management official said, “If there is a plan for what to do on holidays during an overseas business trip, it would be possible to judge whether tourism and leisure trips are being avoided,” and added, “It is thought that it is necessary to check whether the relevant institution properly went through the review committee.” However, regarding the Korea Customs Service employee’s visit to Machu Picchu, they said, “We cannot judge whether it is a disciplinary matter,” and “It is a matter for the institution’s disciplinary decision authority to decide.”

There are already institutions that have been disciplined for similar cases. In February last year, Chae Hee-bong, then president of Korea Gas Corporation, visited Australia for 16 nights and 17 days, planning to tour parks, beaches, the Grand Canyon, and the Opera House on Saturdays and Sundays. At that time, although it was the weekend, there was media criticism that if tourism was conducted during an official business trip, it could be seen as a leisure trip. Although it remained only a plan, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the competent ministry, judged the matter to be serious and issued a ‘stern warning’ to the working-level staff and the institution.

The Korea Customs Service rebutted, “The Ministry of Personnel Management’s response was a principle stating to avoid leisure and tourism trips during official business trips,” and added, “When asked whether it was a violation of service regulations, they said they could not answer that.”