Local Government Caught Falsely Claiming Over 300 Million Won in Labor Costs
The Board of Audit and Inspection requested disciplinary action against a Military Manpower Administration official who assisted the son of former Financial Services Commission Chairman Eun Seong-su in evading military service. It also reported to the prosecution a public official who fraudulently claimed approximately 330 million KRW in personnel expenses for a job project, and a Gyeonggi Province accounting officer who embezzled 54.72 million KRW in domestic travel expenses.
On the 9th, the Board of Audit and Inspection disclosed the results of its 'Mobile Inspection of Public Service Corruption,' revealing cases of military service-related misconduct, public officials' profit-seeking activities, and embezzlement of public funds. According to the Seoul Regional Military Manpower Administration, the son of former Chairman Eun stayed abroad and twice applied for extensions of overseas travel permission, citing reasons such as "applying for permanent residency."
The Military Manpower Administration, judging that allowing such reasons would hinder the imposition of military service obligations, denied the requests. When Eun's son did not return, he was reported in December 2021 for violating the Military Service Act. Subsequently, in December 2021, Eun filed an objection requesting the cancellation of the rejection decision. From November 2021, former Chairman Eun made 13 phone calls over about a month to Mr. A, a manager at the Seoul Regional Military Manpower Administration, requesting, "Please accept the objection and withdraw the report."
Despite opposition from staff members, Mr. A secretly wrote false information in the review report to accept the objection and reported to the head of the Seoul Regional Military Manpower Administration. The audit revealed that he also conveyed the details of this process to former Chairman Eun. In January 2022, the head of the Seoul Regional Military Manpower Administration approved Mr. A's acceptance document as is and withdrew the report. As a result, Eun's son departed for the United States, reported overseas migration to the Los Angeles (LA) Consulate General in February 2022, applied for an extension of the period for "overseas migration purposes," and has not returned from the U.S. since, thereby evading military service.
The Board of Audit and Inspection explained, "We requested disciplinary action against those involved in illegally processing overseas travel permission for military service obligors, and Mr. A retired in February 2022 and was notified through personnel records."
Additionally, the Board requested disciplinary action against Mr. B, a Patent Office secretary who established a trademark expert institution closely related to his duties under his younger brother's name and effectively operated the business for profit. It also requested dismissal and termination, along with prosecution referral, for a Goheung County project manager who fraudulently claimed 332.84 million KRW in personnel expenses over 61 occasions, a Gyeonggi Province accounting officer who embezzled 54.72 million KRW over 52 occasions, and a Seogwipo City accounting officer who embezzled 12.08 million KRW by entering his own name and account number instead of the Public Procurement Service's.
On the 20th, when the Board of Audit and Inspection disclosed the audit results on the 'appropriateness of the early shutdown decision of Wolseong Unit 1,' tension filled the Board of Audit and Inspection in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@
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