Seoul Water Reclamation Center Executive Referred to Prosecution for Accepting 250 Million Won Bribe Scandal

Seoul City Councilor Kim Hyeji: "Will Establish Measures to Eradicate Collusion Between Seoul Water Reuse Center Employees and Contractors"
Former Employee Recently Referred to Prosecution for Receiving Large Bribes from Water Reuse Center Supplier
The Essence of Bribery Is Giving to Gain More, Failing to Prevent Loss of Citizens' Tax Money

Kim Hye-ji, a member of the Seoul Metropolitan Council's Urban Safety and Construction Committee (People Power Party, Gangdong 1), received a report on the Water Circulation Safety Bureau and Seoul Water Reuse Facilities Corporation during the 326th Seoul Metropolitan Council extraordinary session on the 3rd. She identified a bribery scandal involving a former corporation employee recently referred to the prosecution and ordered the establishment of measures to prevent recurrence.

Regarding the case, in which a former employee was sent to the prosecution on July 2 for accepting money and valuables from suppliers to the Water Reuse Center between 2017 and 2022, Kim pointed out that the Seoul Metropolitan Council had long raised concerns about the abnormal practice of privately contracting the Tancheon Water Reuse Center and Seonam Water Reuse Center for three years each over 20 years before the corporation's transition in January 2021.

She added that the essence of bribery is to gain more, so although it was not detected, there is a possibility that precious citizens' taxes were pocketed by specific companies or employees during the past private consignment period.

In response to Kim's inquiry about the detailed bribery between the company and employees, the chairman of the Seoul Water Reuse Corporation explained that the case involved the former Tancheon Environment Management Director (later Tancheon Center Director) and the General Affairs Department Head accepting money and valuables from a company on the condition of supply. This was uncovered by the Seoul Metropolitan Government Audit Committee and reported to the police. The General Affairs Department Head was dismissed but appealed to the Ministry of Labor and was reinstated; however, after further crimes were revealed, he was finally dismissed.

Kim urged the establishment of measures to prevent the waste of citizens' tax money due to bribery, and the Water Circulation Safety Bureau Director responded that although direct control over corporation employees is not possible, they would discuss with the Seoul Metropolitan Government Audit Committee to devise anti-corruption measures.

Additionally, the chairman of the Seoul Water Reuse Facilities Corporation expressed a commitment to use this case as a lesson and to take strong and lawful disciplinary actions from the investigation stage by the police if similar allegations are found in the future.

The bribery scandal at the Water Reuse Center, currently referred to the prosecution, is under investigation for accepting bribes totaling 250 million KRW over five years from 2017, conditioned on material supply.