[Opinion] Repaying Public Trust through Integrity Practice at the Korea Rural Community Corporation

Im Mun-hee, Director of Yeongam Branch, Korea Rural Community Corporation

Korea Rural Community Corporation is a public institution dedicated to the development of rural areas and the sustainable growth of farmers. It carries out various projects encompassing agricultural production infrastructure maintenance, rural water management, and farmland banking, placing the value of integrity at the center of its management activities.

Integrity, composed of the characters ‘맑을 청 (淸)’ meaning clear and ‘청렴할 렴 (廉)’ meaning honest, is defined in the dictionary as having a noble and pure character and conduct, free from greed. Although the term frequently appears in the news and feels familiar, the weight it carries is by no means light.

According to the 2023 Corruption Perception Survey conducted by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, the perception of corruption among public officials was 2.4%, while among the general public it was 38.3%. In other words, 38.3% of the general public responded that corruption existed, compared to only 2.4% of public officials.

What causes this contrasting result? While there may be several factors, one of the most important reasons is the significantly heightened public awareness of integrity and the corresponding expectations compared to the past.

In the past, the meaning of the word ‘integrity’ was a passive one, referring to not violating laws, regulations, or guidelines and performing one’s duties without issue. However, in modern society, the level of integrity expected by the public includes not only refraining from pursuing personal gain through work but also proactive and professional administrative handling, listening to field opinions and promptly resolving civil complaints, and conducting transparent and fair procedures in various ways.

Korea Rural Community Corporation Yeongam Branch operates a responsibility system in the field of integrity (contracts, farmland banking, commercial permits, construction works, etc.), mandates ethics education for all employees, establishes joint labor-management integrity and customer satisfaction agreements, sends integrity letters, and implements various measures to establish a culture of integrity within the organization.

Additionally, as part of ESG management for regional coexistence, it promotes renewable energy projects such as smart farms, actively participates in local events and social contribution activities, opens its office building to the public and provides shared services, holds meetings with young farmers’ councils, and operates a regional residents’ participation management committee, striving to foster a culture of communication and cooperation.

Since integrity is a value realized through practice, Korea Rural Community Corporation will continue to make relentless efforts to become a ‘representative integrity public institution’ that meets the expectations of the public and to repay the trust and support of the people.