Gangbuk-gu Establishes 'Investigation Committee' Regarding Employee Death; Workplace Harassment Counseling Advisory Committee to Meet on 13th... Mayor Lee Sunhee Promises Fair and Swift Procedures
The public sector is in turmoil as civil servants across the country have been dying one after another. Following the death of a civil servant in Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi Province, related to stress from dealing with civil complaints, incidents of a high-ranking civil servant and a Grade 6 public official dying in a Seoul autonomous district have occurred, placing not only their families but also their colleagues in a difficult situation.
While some view this as a result of lingering abuses of power and other malpractices within the public sector, no clear investigation results have been released, causing distress among those around them.
Accordingly, there are opinions that social attention should not be limited to when such incidents occur, but that institutional measures need to be established.
The death of a high-ranking official in a Seoul autonomous district last month shocked not only seniors and juniors in Seoul but also the entire public sector. Considering the individual's usual temperament, it is frustrating as they were not the type to make such a choice.
Additionally, a team leader in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, passed away on the 1st of this month, and it is known that an internal investigation is underway within the district office. The unfortunate choice of the team leader was made public externally as relatives informed the media, causing another shock to the public sector.
Accordingly, Gangbuk-gu officially announced on the afternoon of the 15th that it will establish and operate an investigative committee to conduct a more in-depth investigation into whether workplace harassment occurred related to the employee’s death.
Regarding the death of the Gangbuk-gu civil servant on May 1st, the bereaved family appealed that workplace harassment, along with work stress and health issues, contributed to the death and requested an investigation, submitting related documents on the 7th.
The district immediately formed a workplace harassment counseling advisory committee composed of external experts such as lawyers and labor consultants according to relevant ordinances, conducted an internal investigation, and held an advisory committee meeting on the 13th with representatives of the bereaved family participating.
As a result of the committee meeting, the attending members expressed the need for further investigation to confirm more specific facts and suggested establishing an investigative committee to ensure objectivity and transparency.
The Gangbuk-gu workplace harassment investigative committee is an ad hoc committee composed of external experts, including counseling advisory members. The district plans to appoint external members with expertise in relevant fields to form the committee and start activities as soon as possible.
Lee Soon-hee, Mayor of Gangbuk-gu, once again expressed condolences for the deceased and stated, “Through the activities of the investigative committee involving external experts, we will conduct an investigation with objectivity, fairness, and rationality, and ensure that subsequent related procedures are carried out fairly and promptly.”
The mayor visited the deceased’s funeral on May 2nd, ordered a thorough investigation into workplace harassment, and held a meeting with the bereaved family on the 7th.
In contrast, another autonomous district in Seoul, where a high-ranking official in the district office made an extreme choice causing shock to the Seoul public sector, reportedly concluded internally that there were no issues as the bereaved family did not raise any problems. A district official stated, “Since the bereaved family did not raise any issues, it was concluded internally that there were no problems.”
However, as such major incidents occur, opinions are emerging that Seoul City should take active measures. A Seoul autonomous district official said, “When such extreme incidents occur, Seoul City and the autonomous districts should form a joint investigative body with experts to conduct thorough investigations,” adding, “It seems necessary to establish a procedural system to request investigations from investigative agencies for those responsible.”
They emphasized that if the bereaved family does not come forward, the matter should not be allowed to fade away over time. There is a growing consensus that Seoul City and investigative agencies should take a more proactive role in accurately identifying the causes of such incidents, holding those responsible accountable, and preventing further victims from occurring.
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