Seocho-gu Launches Three-Week Anti-Corruption Drive Ahead of Chuseok

"We will respond resolutely to corruption and misconduct, and broaden communication across generations and ranks to make Seocho the No. 1 city for integrity."

Those were the words of Seocho-gu District Mayor Jeon Seong-su as he announced a push to establish the district as a leader in public-sector integrity ahead of the Chuseok holiday. The district has designated the three weeks from Sept. 7 through the Chuseok holiday on Sept. 27 as a "focused integrity practice period," during which it will intensify anti-corruption and integrity initiatives. Civil-service discipline checks will also be stepped up around the holiday to reinforce ethical conduct and workplace compliance.

The anti-corruption drive centers on three pillars: practice, communication and civil-service discipline. The district plans to expand employee-driven integrity programs to embed ethical conduct into everyday organizational culture, while taking a firm stance against violations including the acceptance of gifts, conflicts of interest and negligence of duty.

Before the period officially began, the district held a two-day "corruption mock-reporting drill" on Sept. 2 and 3, involving 120 employees. Participants were presented with three hypothetical corruption scenarios and asked to assess each situation and file reports through the district's dedicated whistleblowing channels, "Seocho Integrity Whistle" and "Seocho Integrity Talk." The exercise was designed to help staff recognize corrupt situations and become familiar with reporting procedures in a natural setting.

On Tuesday, the deputy district mayor convened a "civil-service discipline establishment meeting" in the main conference room on the fifth floor of the district office. Department heads, community center directors and lead team managers were called together to be briefed on the central and higher-level governments' push to tighten civil-service standards, and were urged to strengthen oversight to prevent misconduct and violations of workplace rules.

At 8 a.m. Friday, the district will hold its "Clean Seocho Campaign" in the first-floor lobby of the district office, the first floor of the public health center and the district office annex. Employees arriving for work will be reminded of key integrity commitments — refraining from giving or receiving holiday gifts, eliminating excessive drinking and drunk driving, and eradicating gapjil — and will receive promotional materials to spread a culture of "integrity starting with me." The district also plans to send integrity letters to contractors involved in construction, services and procurement, and will operate a "gift return center" during the period to prevent improper gift exchanges around the holiday.

On Monday at 2 p.m., the district will hold the "Seocho Integrity Concert" at the art hall of the Seocho Culture and Arts Center. Departing from conventional lecture-style training, the event is designed as a participatory program for all staff. It will feature a special lecture on gapjil prevention and anti-corruption laws, followed by a "mini golden bell" quiz to reinforce the content and a cultural performance. The event is expected to give employees a natural opportunity to reflect on the meaning of integrity through direct participation.

The following day, Tuesday at 10 a.m., the district will hold a "reverse mentoring" session in the fifth-floor conference room, bringing together senior civil servants at grades 4 and 5 and junior staff at grades 8 and 9 to exchange experiences and perspectives. Going beyond traditional one-way mentoring, the session will be run in an interview and talk-show format: junior employees will share tips on creating short-form videos, while senior officials will offer insights from their years in public service. Participants will also speak freely about the kind of organizational culture they want, with the aim of breaking down generational and hierarchical barriers and fostering mutual understanding and respect.

Discipline checks will be intensified during the holiday period as well. The district will conduct unannounced inspections for violations of workplace rules — including unauthorized absences and negligence — as well as breaches of the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act, the Anti-Graft Act and the civil servant code of conduct. Emergency duty compliance and environmental patrols within the district will also be carried out during the holiday to prevent administrative gaps and resident inconvenience, and to head off any lapse in civil-service standards.

"Integrity is the foundation that public servants must practice in their daily lives, and the starting point of residents' trust," District Mayor Jeon said. "We will respond firmly to corruption and misconduct, and expand communication across generations and ranks to build a Seocho that residents trust as the No. 1 city for integrity."