Gwangju Public Officials' Union Condemns Yang Bunam for Referring to Civil Servants as "Soulless Tools"

Statement Issued... Condemning "Inappropriate Remarks"

Yang Bunam, Member of the National Assembly (Gwangju Seo-gu Eul)

The Gwangju branch of the public officials' union condemned Democratic Party lawmaker Yang Bunam (Gwangju Seo-gu Eul) for his remarks referring to civil servants as "soulless tools," calling them inappropriate.

On July 4, the Gwangju Regional Headquarters of the Korean Government Employees' Union issued a statement, saying, "On July 2, during his appearance on the YouTube broadcast 'Modesty is Difficult News Factory,' Representative Yang stated that prosecutorial reform is being pursued by the president, ministers, and the National Assembly, and that 'civil servants are soulless tools, so there is nothing to worry about.' This remark has sparked anger among public sector workers and has led to disappointment regarding the perception of civil servants held by the Democratic Party and its members," the statement said.

The union added, "On December 3, 2024, the Gwangju public officials' union refused to comply with the illegal martial law of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, endured the bitter cold while joining citizens at the 5·18 Democracy Plaza, and called for Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment." They further criticized, "The prosecution and administrative bureaucrats, where Yang Bunam once served, are representative vested interest groups in our society, and they are 'soulless civil servants' who should be the target of reform."

They continued, "However, the statement that seemed to denounce all civil servants as soulless was gravely mistaken. If Representative Yang recognizes the inappropriateness of his remarks, he should actively pursue legislation to guarantee full political freedom for all civil servants." The union also stated, "If public officials and teachers had the right to criticize those in power, the December 3 incident would not have occurred. Going forward, 'civil servants with soul' demand that Representative Yang exercise greater caution in his remarks."