Mapo-gu has ranked in the bottom tier of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission's integrity index for four straight years; District Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun is betting on participatory programs and a culture overhaul to turn the tide
Mapo-gu District Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun has made integrity a centerpiece of his administration since taking office, drawing attention to the reasons behind his focus on the issue.
Yoo attended a "commute-hour integrity campaign" Wednesday morning at the first-floor lobby of the Mapo-gu district office, where he joined employees in reflecting on the meaning of integrity and discussing ways to build a healthier organizational culture.
Yoo greeted arriving staff, spun an integrity roulette wheel and worked through related quiz questions alongside them. Employees also took part in the quiz, reaffirming the values of integrity expected of public servants.
Staff wrote their thoughts on integrity, organizational culture and hopes for the district administration on memo slips and posted them on an "integrity tree" display, sharing their views with one another.
There is a clear reason why Yoo has emphasized integrity from the very start of his term.
Mapo-gu received a grade 3 rating in the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission's comprehensive integrity index in 2022, slipped to grade 4 in 2023, fell further to grade 5 in 2024, and remained at grade 4 in 2025.
Although the district climbed one grade from the previous year, it has failed to escape the mid-to-lower tier for four consecutive years. In the 2025 assessment, the district scored grade 5 — the lowest possible — on perceived integrity, and grade 4 on integrity effort.
The commission's comprehensive integrity index is calculated by combining a "perceived integrity" score — which measures corruption awareness and experiences reported by members of the public and internal civil servants during their dealings with the agency — with an "integrity effort" score that evaluates the agency's anti-corruption track record, then applying deductions for any corruption incidents that occurred.
A low integrity score therefore reflects more than simple misconduct such as bribery. It also captures employee and public assessments of the organization as a whole, including the fairness of personnel decisions, improper work directives, favoritism and the transparency of administrative processes.
That is why Yoo has been channeling his efforts into integrity initiatives that encourage direct employee participation and input, rather than one-off training sessions. The approach reflects his determination to use the launch of the ninth directly elected administration as an opportunity to identify sources of internal distrust and establish fair personnel practices and a more horizontal organizational culture.
Mapo-gu also held an "integrity concert" Wednesday afternoon at the district office's main auditorium.
The event featured an integrity talk show with Yoo, a professional emcee and staff members, along with a lecture on integrity and a popera performance.
During the talk show, employees shared concerns, questions about district administration and various integrity-related cases, exchanging views on how to build a more ethical organizational culture.
The lecture that followed explained key laws public servants need to know — including the Act on the Prohibition of Improper Solicitation and Graft and methods for preventing conflicts of interest among public officials — through practical case studies.
The event closed with a popera performance by a male quartet, who blended classical and popular music to convey the value of integrity in an accessible and engaging way.
"Integrity is not a grand slogan — it is the basic attitude that every individual public servant must practice in their daily work," Yoo said. "I will do my utmost to build a Mapo-gu administration that is fair and trusted."
Yet campaigns and training alone are unlikely to raise integrity scores quickly. A genuinely ethical organizational culture takes root only when the district mayor and senior officials lead by example and earn the trust of their staff. With roughly 1,500 Mapo-gu employees watching every word and action of their superiors, the administration must conduct itself accordingly. Yoo's integrity drive will produce real results only when it is backed by fair personnel decisions, transparent decision-making and an organizational culture free of improper directives and gapjil.
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
