[Exclusive] "Refrain from Budget-Related Remarks"... Government Imposes Internal 'Gag Order' Amid Gyeom Incident

Ministry of Education, Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Internal Guidelines Delivered
"Unified One-Voice for Budget Matters," etc.

As the president declared and lifted martial law citing 'legislative and budgetary manipulation,' it has been confirmed that the government issued internal guidelines to civil servants in various ministries to control statements related to the budget. This appears to be a measure to strengthen internal discipline within ministries in response to the martial law incident that occurred the previous day.

On the 4th, some government ministries delivered guidelines to internal staff requesting restraint in making statements regarding budget matters. At the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, it was understood that a verbal directive was given stating, "Due to the serious situation, unify all statements related to the budget into one voice."

Yonhap News

Along with this, some ministries also distributed official documents containing instructions to be followed during emergencies such as the president’s overseas trips. The document distributed to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family officials on that day included contents such as ▲ adherence to commuting and lunch hours ▲ thorough duty and security management ▲ compliance with civil servants’ political neutrality obligations ▲ establishment of a rapid reporting system and maintenance of emergency contact networks ▲ prohibition of acts that damage the dignity and integrity obligations of public officials ▲ smooth execution of major national agendas and policy tasks within their jurisdiction.

Earlier, around midnight before the lifting of martial law, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety reportedly notified civil servants to refrain from unnecessary leave or business trips and to maintain emergency contact systems.

The Ministry of Education is also known to have issued a notice containing compliance with duty management after the declaration of martial law.

This measure is analyzed as the government’s intention to restore internal discipline within ministries and regulate the speech and conduct of civil servants in relation to the martial law incident. In this case, there are concerns that the disclosure or discussion of necessary information during budget execution or policy implementation processes may be restricted.