Yeongcheon vows to root out corruption with four-point reform pledge

The city of Yeongcheon in North Gyeongsang Province has launched a sweeping civil service reform drive in response to a recent misconduct case, pledging to restore public trust and tighten discipline among its staff.

All city employees gathered Tuesday at the Yeongcheon Civic Hall for a "Civil Service Reform Rally and Integrity Education" event aimed at reaffirming basic principles of public service.

At the rally, staff adopted a formal resolution and agreed on four core reform tasks.

The pledges cover the complete elimination of corruption through strict adherence to laws and principles, compliance with the civil servant code of conduct and the dismantling of irrational practices, innovation in citizen-centered field administration and working methods, and the building of a healthy organizational culture through open, horizontal communication.

Yeongcheon is also taking steps to prevent a recurrence of the misconduct. The city is conducting a comprehensive audit of public funds with the Ministry of Interior and Safety and carrying out its own targeted inspections of affiliated and invested institutions.

In addition, the city is working to normalize the budget of the administrative welfare center involved and recover misused funds, while stepping up practical training for all civil servants handling accounting duties.

"Through this rally, I want every employee to reaffirm the basics and help Yeongcheon be reborn as a clean and trusted city," Mayor Kim Byeong-sam said. "We will continue to pursue real administrative innovation so that residents can feel the change in their daily lives."