Cheonan City Council Chairperson Kim Haenggeum Attends People Power Party Convention Using Official Vehicle

Attended with Staff on the 3rd...
"I Considered It Official Duty"

Kim Haenggeum, the chairperson of the Cheonan City Council in South Chungcheong Province, is facing criticism after it was revealed that she used an official vehicle to attend the People Power Party convention on May 3, which was a holiday.

According to the Cheonan City Council and other sources on May 7, Chairperson Kim used the official vehicle designated for the chairperson to attend the presidential candidate nomination convention held at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on that day.

According to the Cheonan City Council's vehicle operation log, the chairperson used the official vehicle for 294 kilometers from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on May 3. It is known that a dedicated public employee served as the driver.

While it is permissible to use an official vehicle on holidays or after working hours for official duties, criticism is mounting that Kim's use of the vehicle was for personal purposes, as she attended a party event of her own political party accompanied by a staff member.

The government stipulates in its regulations on the management of official vehicles that "vehicles of administrative agencies must not be used for personal purposes without justifiable reason."

In addition, Article 13-3, Paragraph 2 of the Code of Conduct for Public Officials states that "public officials must not make unjust instructions or demands unrelated to their duties or beyond the scope of their duties."

In response, Chairperson Kim stated, "I considered it an official duty. I am aware that other heads of local governments also used official vehicles on that day." She added, "The accompanying staff member officially registered the trip as a business trip, and I personally paid for the staff member's meal."