Treating Superiors to Meals... 'Executive Hosting Day' Declines Among Civil Servants

Results of Joint Survey by Ministry of Personnel Management and Others Announced
Ministry of the Interior and Safety Strives to Eliminate Unreasonable Practices
"Continuous Improvement of Unreasonable Practices"

The practice of junior civil servants pooling their own money to treat their superiors to meals, known as 'Executive Hosting Day,' has significantly declined. Recently, this custom has been increasingly criticized as a harmful tradition within the public sector, with growing calls for reform led by junior officials. In response, the government has implemented various efforts to break away from this practice.

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on July 15, a joint survey conducted with the Ministry of Personnel Management in April found that only 11.1% of respondents had experienced 'Executive Hosting Day' within the past month. This represents a decrease of 7 percentage points compared to the previous survey in November 2024.

The decline was particularly pronounced in local governments compared to central government agencies. During this period, the rate in central government dropped from 10.1% to 7.7%, a decrease of 2.4 percentage points. In contrast, local governments saw a decrease from 23.9% to 12.2%, a drop of 11.7 percentage points. The survey targeted both central and local government officials, using the 'e-Saram' system for central agencies and the 'Insarang' system for local governments. A total of 113,404 employees participated (28,809 from central government and 84,595 from local governments).

The most notable finding was that 32.8% of all respondents said that 'Executive Hosting Day' had decreased since the last survey. When asked what was most needed to eradicate this practice, 42.9% cited 'raising awareness among senior officials.' Additionally, 48.1% of respondents said that such a practice never existed in their workplace.

Among those who had participated in 'Executive Hosting Day,' 75.9% said the hosted official was a department head (section chief level), the highest proportion. The most commonly cited reason for the persistence of the practice was 'an organizational culture and tradition that regards it as insignificant' (35.8%). Furthermore, 75.6% of all respondents said that 'healthy dialogue and communication between executives and staff' is necessary, indicating that communication between different levels remains important.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Personnel Management, and the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission have held policy meetings and on-site discussions to recommend institutional improvements to eradicate 'Executive Hosting Day.' In particular, they have operated a government-wide innovation network to listen to the concerns of central and local government employees and to spread the movement to eliminate unreasonable practices. The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission also operated a special reporting period focusing on habitual corruption, abuse of power, and violations of the code of conduct by public officials.

Changes are also being seen in the field. Cheongyang County in South Chungcheong Province has launched the 'Administrative PRO (Perfect·Reduce·Open) Movement' to innovate organizational culture, including the goal of zeroing out 'Executive Hosting Day.' North Jeolla Special Self-Governing Province has conducted its own survey and shared and discussed the results during executive meetings, demonstrating that local governments are also making independent efforts to eradicate the practice.

Kim Minjae, acting Minister of the Interior and Safety, stated, "In order to completely root out this wrong practice, the determination and leadership of senior officials are most important," and added, "We will continue to identify and improve unreasonable customs within the public sector to create a work environment where civil servants can focus on their duties."