Grade 5 Gwangju Donggu Official Given Three-Month Pay Reduction for Drinking While on Duty

Exterior view of Gwangju Donggu District Office.

An executive-level public official at Gwangju Donggu District Office has been given a pay reduction after drinking alcohol while on weekend duty.

According to the district office on April 28, the Gwangju City Personnel Committee imposed a "three-month pay reduction" on official A, a Grade 5 official at Donggu District Office, on April 22 for consuming alcohol while on duty.

Disciplinary actions for public officials are classified as either severe (dismissal, removal, demotion, or suspension) or minor (pay reduction or reprimand). Under the Local Public Officials Act, disciplinary actions for Grade 5 or higher officials at basic local governments are reviewed and decided by the city or provincial personnel committee.

Official A was found to have consumed alcohol while on weekend duty on March 22. The incident came to light after another employee witnessed it and posted about it on the district office's internal bulletin board.