"Manager with Licensing Authority Embezzles 1 Billion KRW... Goheung Governor Apologizes but Silent on Personnel Responsibility"

Abuse of Fisheries Policy Position... Exploiting Powerless Fishermen
Governor Gong Youngmin Says "I Apologize to Residents"... Dismisses as "Personal Misconduct"
Silent on Personnel Verification Failure... Inviting Criticism

A senior fisheries policy manager at Goheung County Office in South Jeolla Province abused his official authority and embezzled over 1 billion KRW from local fishermen. Amid a 'total breakdown' where internal monitoring bodies and the oversight functions of the local council failed to operate, the county governor, who holds personnel authority, drew a line by attributing the incident to 'personal misconduct.'

On December 2, Goheung Police announced that they have booked Mr. A, a 58-year-old manager at Goheung County Office, as a suspect on fraud charges and are currently investigating the case. As the head of the fisheries policy department, Mr. A is accused of exploiting his superior position, which included licensing authority, to borrow over 1 billion KRW from local aquaculture business owners under the pretext that he urgently needed business funds for his son, and then failing to repay the money.

Aerial view of Cheongtk, Goheung County.

It has been reported that Goheung County only became aware of the case after Mr. A suddenly applied for honorary retirement two years before his mandatory retirement age. Critics point out that if he had not applied for retirement, the county audit office might not have detected the issue until the damage had snowballed further. In effect, internal monitoring systems such as integrity monitoring were rendered ineffective.

County Governor Gong Youngmin bowed his head, saying, "I apologize to the residents," but defined the incident as 'personal misconduct.' The county has promised to establish integrity measures to prevent similar incidents in the future, but remains silent on the 'failure of personnel verification' that contributed to the escalation of the situation.