Seongdong District Offers Opportunities Instead of Punishment for Minor Misconduct and Mistakes by Junior Public Officials

Providing Opportunities for Growth Through Education and Volunteer Work
Introduction of the Alternative Disciplinary Action System

Seongdong District in Seoul will become the first among Seoul’s autonomous districts to introduce the “Alternative Disciplinary Action System” for public officials with less than five years of service. This system provides opportunities for “completion of public service competency training” or “on-site volunteer work” in lieu of personnel-based disciplinary actions such as official reprimands or warnings for minor misconduct.

Jung Wono, Mayor of Seongdong District. Provided by Seongdong District.

While strict punishment remains important for corruption and serious misconduct, the purpose of the system is to offer opportunities for education and volunteer work as a means to prevent recurrence in cases where mistakes are made by less-experienced public officials due to lack of experience.

Junior public officials found to have committed minor misconduct may be exempted from personnel-based disciplinary actions such as official reprimands or warnings if they complete at least 20 hours of group or online training related to the area of concern identified during the audit, or perform at least 20 hours of volunteer work at social welfare facilities. The deadline for fulfillment is within three months after the alternative disciplinary action is decided. If the requirements are not met within this period, the original disciplinary action will be enforced as initially determined.

The district plans to apply the system only in cases where the criteria are clearly met and where improvement is deemed more likely than punishment. Through this, the initiative is expected to foster self-reflection and strengthen job competency across the public sector, serving as a catalyst for growth.

Jung Wono, Mayor of Seongdong District, stated, “I hope that by offering opportunities such as education and volunteer work, rather than a punishment-centered, reactive approach, junior public officials can use these experiences as a foundation for strengthening their job competency and personal development. We will continue to do our utmost to implement high-quality policies that foster a clean and corruption-free public sector culture and enhance the potential of our staff.”