A Grade 9 Civil Servant Who Boasted About Being a "Wage Lupang" and Was Thanked... It Was Just a Week Since Starting Probation

Controversy Over Lax Discipline for 9th Grade Civil Servant 'Probationary' Status
Yangju City "Deeply Regret... Not a False Business Trip"
"Wanted to Brag to Friends..." Explanation

A Grade 9 public official, Mr. A, who sparked controversy by posting on social media (SNS) that he was "pretending to work while on a business trip," was ultimately audited by the city. However, it was revealed that Mr. A is a probationary employee who had only been on the job for a week since his new appointment, and depending on the disciplinary action, his status as a public official could be affected.

"Probationary employee appointed on the 8th... Business trip to inspect civil complaint site"

Yangju City stated on the 15th, "We deeply regret the unfortunate situation that occurred," and explained, "Mr. A is a newly appointed public official as of the 8th, and regarding the alleged false business trip, the city’s investigation found that he accompanied a senior official on a business trip to familiarize himself with the work and to inspect a civil complaint site."

They added, "After inspecting the civil complaint site together, he met with two other officials who were on nearby business trips during lunch, used a restaurant and a cafe, and then returned to city hall," clarifying that this does not constitute a false business trip or fraudulent receipt of travel expenses as some have alleged.

However, they emphasized, "Posting on personal SNS with content that could easily be misunderstood as a false business trip, thereby lowering the morale of diligent public officials and causing a negative perception of all city officials, will be thoroughly investigated to determine if it violates the Local Public Officials Act." They also added, "We plan to conduct education to establish proper public service values and basic competencies required of new public officials."

Earlier, photos and captions posted by Mr. A on his Instagram story on the 12th spread across multiple online communities. Alongside a screenshot of a business trip application form, Mr. A wrote, "Pretending to work while on a business trip. Submitted the application, ate with the supervisors, went to a cafe, and wandered around the neighborhood." He also exposed documents revealing the real names of complainants and staff. This led to criticism among netizens, who said, "Such a breakdown in discipline is unacceptable."

Mr. A reportedly felt embarrassed as the issue escalated. During the investigation, he reportedly said, "I just became a public official and wanted to brag to my friends, so I exaggerated in my expression."