"Parental Leave Is Selfish"... Gwangjin Office Faces Backlash After Posting Nutritionist Job Opening

Controversy Over Nutritionist Recruitment Notice at Seoul Gwangjin Police Station
"Nutritionists Are a Selfish Group" Remarks Apologized
Korean Dietitians Association Criticizes Gwangjin Police Station in Statement

A police station's internal nutritionist recruitment notice containing criticism such as "Nutritionists taking parental leave are selfish" has sparked controversy.

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On the 22nd of last month, the Gwangjin Police Station in Seoul posted a "Parental Leave Replacement Staff Recruitment Notice" on a nutritionist job-seeking community. The detailed conditions were a five-day workweek, seven hours per day, with an annual salary of 25 million KRW. In response, a netizen A, who holds a nutritionist license, commented, "We work based on the Food Sanitation Act, and our duties carry penalties such as fines and business suspension if issues arise," adding, "Looking at the posted working conditions, it seems the profession of nutritionists, who always prepare safe meals and are ready for unpredictable inspections, is being taken too lightly."

In reply to A’s comment, the recruitment officer from the police station stated, "The current nutritionist is on maternity and parental leave, receiving a salary without coming to work," and added, "Since the nutritionist did not properly perform their duties, hiring additional staff has led the higher-ups to view nutritionists as a selfish group."

This response triggered strong backlash within the community. Netizens who saw the recruitment post reacted with comments such as, "Parental leave is legally entitled, yet a government agency criticizes it," "Public institutions give a hard time to those taking parental leave, so private companies must be even worse," and "They say low birthrate, but criticize those who take parental leave in South Korea."

As the reactions intensified, on the 26th, the staff member who wrote the recruitment notice posted an apology. He stated, "There seems to have been a misunderstanding while explaining the low salary set for hiring a replacement for the nutritionist on parental leave," and clarified, "There was no intention to criticize those using maternity and parental leave." A Gwangjin Police Station official emphasized, "The recruitment officer’s post does not represent the official stance of the police station at all."

However, public sentiment does not seem to calm down easily. On the 29th of last month, the Korean Dietitians Association issued a statement emphasizing, "Nutritionists are healthcare professionals responsible for the public’s meals, nutrition, and dietary life, fulfilling their roles and responsibilities," and urged, "We call for respect and protection of the rightful values of work-family balance and maternal protection to prevent such unfortunate incidents from recurring."