Wonju Mayor Koo Ja-yeol has declared a zero-tolerance policy toward local civil servants who misuse official expense funds.
"Integrity and fairness are non-negotiable core values for any public official, who carries out duties on the basis of public trust," Koo said Tuesday. "Regardless of the investigation's findings, every case will be handled strictly in accordance with the law and principles, with no exceptions, and we will produce results that citizens can accept."
The city said it will conduct a swift and impartial audit into whether the finance director violated the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act in connection with the use of official expense funds, and will take strict action in line with relevant laws and regulations based on the findings.
Koo said the audit would be completed by the end of August. "We will conduct an objective and thorough audit so that no one can criticize the outcome as a slap on the wrist," he said. "If any unlawful or improper conduct is confirmed, those responsible will be strictly punished according to relevant laws and regulations regardless of their rank, and follow-up procedures will be pursued without delay."
He also said the city would use the case as an opportunity to overhaul its standards for disbursing official expense funds and its conflict-of-interest prevention system. Planned measures include a special review of expense fund usage, a standing monitoring system for senior officials' expense accounts, stronger education on the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act, and improvements to internal controls — all aimed at preventing a recurrence. "We will do our utmost to uphold public discipline and build a clean Wonju that citizens can trust," he said.
The case centers on the finance director's use of official expense funds to pay for a meal with staff from his department at a restaurant run by a family member — a transaction critics say raises conflict-of-interest concerns.
During the audit, the city plans to examine not only whether the expense funds were used appropriately but also whether the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act and related regulations were violated. Any improperly spent funds will be required to be returned, and those found to have acted unlawfully or improperly will face disciplinary action.
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