ARKO, Promoting 'Arts Support', Faces Scrutiny Over Sexual Misconduct Disciplinary Actions

Frequent Misconduct at Institutions under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
Disciplinary Actions at 16 Agencies
Stricter Oversight Needed for Organizations Handling Budgets and Subsidies

It has been revealed that a significant number of disciplinary actions were taken last year at public institutions under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism due to misconduct by executives and employees. In particular, the Korea Arts Council (ARKO) and Grand Korea Leisure were found to have issued disciplinary measures for violations of sexual harassment prevention guidelines.

Korea Arts Council (ARKO) Naju Headquarters

According to an analysis by The Asia Business Daily on January 20 of data from the public institution management information disclosure system 'ALIO,' disciplinary actions against employees occurred at 16 out of 33 public institutions under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism last year.

In March of last year, ARKO suspended an employee for neglect of duty and disorder in accounting practices. In September, another employee was suspended for violating guidelines on the prevention of sexual harassment, sexual violence, and secondary victimization. An ARKO representative explained, "The disciplinary action was due to verbal abuse. An investigation by an external labor law firm found the allegations to be valid, and the personnel committee decided on a one-month suspension."

Similar cases occurred at other institutions. Grand Korea Leisure imposed pay cuts and reprimands for violations of employment rules, the code of conduct for executives and employees, and workplace sexual harassment. The Korea Tourism Organization issued a reprimand for violating the Act on the Prevention of Conflict of Interest of Public Officials. The Korea Creative Content Agency suspended an employee for violating personnel regulations and employment rules.

In addition, disciplinary actions were reported at several other institutions, including the National Heritage Promotion Agency, the National Asia Culture Center Foundation, the Korea Paralympic Committee, the Korea Sports Council, the King Sejong Institute Foundation, the Sports Ethics Center, the Korean Film Council, the Korea Craft and Design Foundation, and the Korea Copyright Commission. Reasons for disciplinary action frequently involved workplace bullying, violations of conflict of interest regulations, and breaches of the duty to maintain dignity-issues directly related to organizational management and work ethics.

This investigation suggests that misconduct at public institutions under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is not merely the result of individual wrongdoing, but may be a structural issue. The fact that even organizations responsible for preventing sexual harassment, sexual violence, and workplace bullying repeatedly violate guidelines and issue disciplinary actions indicates that internal control systems are not functioning properly. The concentration of misconduct types-sexual misconduct, workplace bullying, and conflicts of interest-on matters directly tied to organizational culture is also seen as problematic. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, compared to other ministries, interacts more frequently with the private sector and operates larger grant and subsidy programs, which increases the risk of conflicts of interest and favoritism. Therefore, a higher standard of ethics and integrity is required.

During the 2024 National Assembly audit, Assemblyman Kim Seungsoo of the People Power Party pointed out that more than 300 cases of disciplinary action at public institutions under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism had been omitted over several years. Although most institutions are subject to evaluation and audit by their supervising ministry, there is criticism that actual inspections are merely formalities. In a structure where problems only come to light after misconduct occurs, it is difficult to expect effective prevention. Furthermore, despite repeated disciplinary actions, there is little real accountability pursued against institution heads and those responsible for management, which is also highlighted as an issue.

Experts emphasize that, in order to prevent misconduct at public institutions, it is necessary to improve systems and strengthen ethics and personnel management frameworks. There are calls for effective measures, such as imposing penalties in management evaluations for institutions with repeated misconduct and clarifying accountability regulations.

Yeom Shingyu, Director of the Korea Cultural Policy Institute, stated, "There are cases where employees receive excessive disciplinary action for unavoidable violations of regulations during work processes, while in other cases, if the institution head is a former ministry official, misconduct is not properly revealed. Especially for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, which oversees many affiliated organizations, it is important to distinguish the severity of misconduct and impose disciplinary actions that match the level of responsibility." He added, "However, care must be taken to ensure that ministry oversight and supervision do not infringe upon the autonomy of affiliated organizations."

A Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism official said, "Last year, there were 54 disciplinary actions at 16 out of 33 public institutions under the ministry, which is fewer than the 75 cases in 2024. We will continue to encourage ethical management and pay close attention to oversight and supervision so that disciplinary actions for misconduct continue to decrease."