Finance Ministry names 14 civil servants for proactive service awards

Civil servants at the Ministry of Economy and Finance have been recognized for proactive service achievements ranging from cracking down on tourist price gouging and responding to supply chain disruptions caused by the Middle East war to driving workplace innovation through AI.

The ministry held its "2026 First-Half Proactive Service Awards" ceremony Monday, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Koo Yun-cheol, naming 14 honorees in total — 10 in the "Proactive Service Star" category and four in the "Proactive Service IN-Star" category.

The top Proactive Service Star prize went to Kim Na-yun, an administrative officer in the People's Economy Bureau, for developing a plan to eliminate price gouging at tourist destinations. Kim addressed the longstanding problem by strengthening price transparency, promoting fair pricing and establishing an integrated management system. She was also credited with drawing up additional improvement measures that could be implemented immediately in the field, reducing public inconvenience and boosting the competitiveness of the tourism industry.

Four officials received the excellence award. Kwon Ki-hwan of the Development Finance Bureau was recognized for establishing the country's first national ESG standards for public institutions, creating a framework now available to roughly 300 public institutions nationwide. Kim Jeong-a of the Tax Bureau was also honored for swiftly adjusting the flexible fuel tax rate in response to market conditions amid a sharp rise in international oil prices.

Regulatory reform achievements also drew high marks. Song Jun-sik of the Public Policy Bureau received the excellence award for supporting the resolution of labor-management negotiations at the Public Procurement Service through advance consulting with the Board of Audit and Inspection and institutional improvements. Jeon Hyeong-yong of the National Treasury Bureau was similarly honored for expanding the legal definition of tobacco for the first time in 37 years to bring new tobacco products under the regulatory framework.

The merit award went to, among others, Park Yeong-u of the Economic Supply Chain Planning Office, who streamlined pre-registration procedures and expedited customs clearance as part of 13 regulatory improvements in response to supply chain disruptions caused by the Middle East war. Park Ji-hoon of the People's Economy Bureau, who developed measures to curb price instability by applying anti-hoarding regulations, and Jeon Hui-jeong of the External Economy Bureau, who helped pass the Korea-US Strategic Investment Act swiftly and set up a provisional implementation framework before the law took effect, were also among the recipients.

Jeong Hyeon-yeop of the Tax Bureau, who quickly secured funding to allow the National Growth Fund to launch on schedule and laid the groundwork for boosting investment in advanced industries, and Choe Jong-won of the People's Economy Bureau, who designed a tailored policy framework for youth in diverse circumstances and contributed to the development of the "Youth New Deal" plan, received encouragement awards.

The ceremony also spotlighted internal workplace innovation through AI. The innovation excellence prize in the Proactive Service IN-Star category went to Lee Seung-yeon, an administrative officer in the Planning and Coordination Office who established the ministry's first practical AI agent training program and a dedicated organizational unit to strengthen employees' AI capabilities, and to Bang Jun-sik, a senior official in the same office who led an employee-driven AI hackathon to identify and develop generative AI services.

Han Ji-su, an administrative officer who made key economic policy content accessible to the public in both Korean and English, and Jang In-ju, a director in the Innovation and Growth Office, received the communications excellence award.

"A bold and creative approach that goes beyond established practice is the key to determining the future of our economy," Deputy Prime Minister Koo said. "I ask all staff to keep striving through proactive service to continuously deliver policy results that people can tangibly feel."