Discussing Practical Improvement Tasks for Integrity Policies and Corruption-Prone Areas
A Communication-Oriented Meeting Model
Uiryeong County in South Gyeongsang Province announced on the 11th that its "Integrity Tea Ceremony" (a collective meeting for collaborative task implementation), which serves as a practical communication platform to enhance integrity within the public sector, has entered full-scale operation after recently holding its second meeting.
The "Integrity Tea Ceremony" is a communication-oriented meeting model where participants discuss practical improvement tasks related to integrity policies and corruption-prone areas in a relaxed atmosphere. By breaking down barriers between departments, all senior officials from every department gather to brainstorm ways to practice integrity, making it a pragmatic model for such meetings.
Since the beginning of this year, the county has been regularly holding the Integrity Tea Ceremony, focusing on key topics such as: reviewing the implementation status of each department based on integrity evaluation results; developing strategic response measures for areas vulnerable to corruption; and strengthening integrity leadership among senior officials.
At the meeting held on the 7th, the results of individual integrity assessments for 40 senior officials (grade 5 and above) conducted in June were shared. To ensure objectivity and effectiveness, the evaluation was carried out by supervisors, peers, and subordinates who had worked with each official over the past year.
The survey found that the average integrity score for Uiryeong County's senior officials was 9.78 out of 10, indicating an overall favorable level. However, areas such as "avoiding responsibility at work" and "passivity" (each scoring 9.64) received relatively lower evaluations, highlighting the need for improvement in these aspects.
Along with the results of this assessment, the county also analyzed the 2024 integrity evaluation results announced by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, focusing on strategies to improve the "external perception of integrity," which was found to be relatively low compared to the county's "efforts to promote integrity."
Additionally, to reduce unnecessary practices and misunderstandings that may arise at points of contact with the local community, the county presented practical measures to proactively manage vulnerable areas such as permits, subsidies, and festival sponsorships, and to further enhance transparency.
County Governor Oh Tae-wan stated, "We needed a meeting platform where all senior officials could participate as agents of change, moving away from formal and one-sided integrity meetings," adding, "I hope the Integrity Tea Ceremony will serve as a venue for public officials to redefine the value of integrity for themselves and to jointly identify actionable tasks."
Meanwhile, the county is also actively pursuing external publicity strategies to spread a culture of integrity among residents, alongside internal institutional improvements.
To this end, the county's Integrity Audit Team has produced six integrity-themed logo songs that combine symbols of Uiryeong County with the value of integrity, such as "Sotbawi and the Path of Integrity and Prosperity" and "Shout It Out! Integrity!" These songs are being used as background music for various integrity campaigns, broadcasts, and events, naturally spreading the message of integrity throughout both the public sector and the wider community.
Going forward, Uiryeong County plans to realize "everyday integrity administration" through a variety of programs, including not only the Integrity Tea Ceremony but also the Integrity and Prosperity Smart Golden Bell quiz, joint anti-corruption inspections by the public and private sectors, and the launch of a citizen integrity monitoring group.
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