Local Public Enterprises Can Check Criminal Records During Hiring... Strengthened Disqualification Criteria and Disciplinary Actions

Resolution of the Cabinet Meeting on the Promulgation of the Amendment to the Local Public Enterprises Act

#. Mr. A, who applied for a position at a local public enterprise, was fined 5 million KRW two years ago for violating the Information and Communications Network Act by distributing obscene videos online. However, this public enterprise did not verify whether Mr. A had violated the law because its internal personnel regulations did not include disqualification criteria for violations of the Information and Communications Network Act.

From now on, local public enterprises will be able to disqualify applicants like Mr. A by applying disqualification criteria equivalent to those for public officials during the hiring process. It has also become possible to conduct criminal record checks on applicants. The disciplinary standards for employees currently in service have been strengthened to the level of public officials.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that the amendment to the Local Public Enterprises Act containing these provisions was approved at the Cabinet meeting on the 31st. The enforcement date is January 7 of next year.

According to the amendment, local public enterprises are required to stipulate disqualification and mandatory retirement criteria for employees, which were previously determined by their own personnel regulations, in the same manner as the Local Public Officials Act. A basis for conducting criminal record checks through the National Police Agency when verifying disqualification criteria has also been established. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety plans to prepare and provide the "Local Public Enterprises Disqualification Criteria Processing Standards" to local governments and public enterprises to ensure smooth handling of disqualification inquiries.

An official from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety explained, "As policy demands diversify due to social changes and the scope of work of local public enterprises expands, requiring a higher level of public interest than before, this is to secure the morality and ethics of employees."

Additionally, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety has strengthened disciplinary standards for sexual misconduct by executives and employees of local public enterprises to align with the disciplinary regulations for local public officials. Internal guidelines have also been revised to implement a voluntary reporting system for drunk driving or a driving record verification system. As a result, public enterprises that previously had difficulty taking disciplinary action due to the absence of internal disciplinary regulations for sexual misconduct such as illegal filming can now impose penalties ranging from a minimum salary reduction to dismissal according to the disciplinary regulations for local public officials.

Han Soon-gi, Director of the Local Finance and Economy Office at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said, "Local public enterprises manage important infrastructure within the region and provide public services closely connected to local residents, requiring a high level of compliance awareness and ethics. We will continue to promote institutional improvements to secure the public accountability of local public enterprises and strive to ensure stable provision and trust in public services."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.