Public Indecency, Drunk Driving, Abuse of Power, Theft, Sexual Misconduct, and More
Min Hyungbae: "Lax Discipline Among Public Officials... Urgent Need to Restore Trust"
It has been revealed that 122 public officials from agencies under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Cultural Heritage Administration have been disciplined for sexual misconduct and other offenses over the past five years.
According to data submitted by Assemblyman Min Hyungbae (Gwangsan-eul, Gwangju) of the Democratic Party of Korea on September 18, 16 public officials have been disciplined this year for various offenses, including sexual misconduct and drunk driving.
In particular, at KTV (Korea Policy Broadcasting Foundation), a public official was demoted for committing indecent assault and leaving the workplace without permission. The investigation found that the perpetrator did not return to work after drinking during lunchtime and forcibly molested the victim at a nearby cafe and restaurant.
Disciplinary actions against public officials have occurred consistently every year. By year, 19 officials were disciplined in 2020, 20 in 2021, 23 in 2022, 20 in 2023, and 24 in 2024. The most common reasons for disciplinary action were violations of the duty to maintain dignity under the State Public Officials Act, including sexual harassment, prostitution, sexual misconduct, drunk driving, special threats, and special assault. This year, the cases included public indecency (one-month pay reduction), indecent assault and leaving the workplace (demotion), abuse of power (one-month pay reduction), and theft (reprimand).
In terms of severity, 54 officials (44.3%) received severe disciplinary action, such as dismissal, removal, demotion, or suspension, while 68 officials (55.7%) received lighter disciplinary action, such as pay reduction, reprimand, or written warning. The lowest level of disciplinary action, a written warning, was issued for cases such as violation of the Copyright Act and violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents (causing injury).
Assemblyman Min emphasized, "The Lee Jaemyung administration has designated 'anti-corruption reform to realize public interest' as the 16th national policy task," adding, "Since issues such as drunk driving, sexual misconduct, and abuse of power continue to undermine discipline among public officials at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Cultural Heritage Administration every year, it is necessary to strengthen supervision and restore public trust."
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