세금으로 채운 얄팍한 주머니, 공직 사회의 곪아 터진 도덕적 해이 > K-wave Trends

This incident of Andong City government officials' collective receipt of illegal allowances is shocking in terms of its scale and method. In 2021, more than 100 working-level civil servants between grades 6 and 9 stole about 10 million won in taxpayer money by entering false working hours into the city hall's internal computer network. The incident first surfaced through an inspection by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, but at the time, Andong City attempted to cover up the situation with lukewarm measures to recover the unfair receipts and impose internal disciplinary action. However, due to complaints from civil society, the case was transferred to the realm of judicial investigation, resulting in the shameful result of dozens of public officials being sent to the prosecution on charges of fraud and falsification of official records. This proves that an organization whose internal self-purification process is paralyzed is unable to correct itself without forced external intervention.

Not only the Andong City incident, but also the suspicion of illegal receipt of overtime pay involving police officers from the Gwangju Eastern Police Station clearly shows the chronic ills of public service society. They used elaborate techniques, such as manipulating computer records to make it seem as if they had worked at night without actually working, or using other people's accounts to modify report times. The fact that such misconduct occurred even within the police, an investigative agency, causes greater disappointment to the public. The fact that those on the front lines of law enforcement have abandoned moral standards and deceived the system suggests that the breakdown in public discipline is not a problem limited to specific regions or departments. These cases strongly suggest that there is a widespread misconception within public servant organizations that overtime pay is considered a ‘second salary’ or a ‘share that should be taken for granted.’

Meanwhile, in contrast to this negative trend within public service society, finding the rights of those who have not received fair compensation due to institutional irrationality is also emerging as an important topic. Recently, the Supreme Court ruled that the practice of uniformly deducting one hour of overtime for part-time public servants violates the constitutional principle of equality. This is a decision that has belatedly brought justice to public servants who have been discriminated against in the name of custom even after providing actual labor for many years. It is a natural right to receive fair compensation for one's labor, but conversely, stealing taxes by inflating one's labor is a crime that belittles the efforts of others. The public service society faces both of these dual aspects. The current situation, where claims that the value of labor should be properly recognized and fraudulent receipt practices that undermine that value, clearly show the contradictions in our administrative system.

In order to eradicate this moral hazard in public society, it must not be limited to simple one-time detection or disciplinary action. Not only must the allowance calculation system be technologically improved to make false entries fundamentally impossible, but punitive recovery and strong criminal punishment must be implemented when fraudulent payments are detected. In addition, it is urgent to break down the paternalistic culture within the organization that has been tolerated in the name of convention and establish a transparent evaluation system based on performance and work performance. Above all, there is an urgent need for education and self-improvement efforts to reestablish the minimum ethical awareness that each public official must have as a person who eats away at the nation. The moment we forget the essence of public work as a service to the community rather than a means for personal gain, the legitimacy of public service is bound to be lost.