Gangnam-gu council toughens ethics rules, mandates expulsion for drunk-driving deaths

The Gangnam-gu Council is overhauling its ethics standards and disciplinary system for lawmakers. The reforms require public disclosure of members' outside jobs and meeting attendance, and mandate expulsion for any lawmaker who causes a fatal accident while driving drunk or fails to take legally required steps after such an accident.

The council's steering committee, chaired by Kang Hyeon-seop, on Wednesday approved a comprehensive revision to the ordinance governing the ethics code and conduct standards for Gangnam-gu Council members, along with a new disciplinary rules bill — both sponsored by lawmaker Bae Geun-hee.

The revisions systematically overhaul everything from the ethical standards lawmakers must meet to the grounds for discipline, penalty guidelines, procedures and disclosure methods, with the aim of strengthening the local council's capacity for self-regulation.

The revised ethics ordinance spells out rules on preventing conflicts of interest arising from outside employment, requirements to report and disclose such positions, restrictions on profit-making activities, attendance obligations and ethics review procedures.

Each lawmaker's outside employment will be posted on the council's website at least once a year, and meeting attendance records will also be made public so residents can directly check how actively their representatives are participating in council work. Personal information unrelated to the purpose of disclosure — such as dates of birth and personal contact details — will be excluded.

Conflict-of-interest safeguards were also strengthened. When a lawmaker's outside role directly affects Gangnam-gu affairs, that member will be barred from serving on the standing committee overseeing the relevant area, ensuring impartiality in council work.

The accompanying disciplinary rules bill focuses on making enforcement of ethics standards more effective.

Grounds for discipline include violations of outside-employment obligations and the duty to maintain dignity, drunk driving, sexual violence, prostitution, sexual harassment, improper solicitation, conflicts of interest, and the use of confidential or non-public information obtained through official duties.

Disciplinary decisions will take into account the nature and severity of the violation, whether it was intentional or negligent, and its broader social impact — a framework intended to make penalties more objective and predictable.

The drunk-driving standards go further than the Ministry of Interior and Safety's model guidelines. A lawmaker caught drunk driving two or more times may face expulsion or a suspension of up to 30 days. Any lawmaker who causes a fatal accident while drunk driving, or who fails to fulfill obligations under Article 54, Paragraph 1 of the Road Traffic Act after an accident, will face expulsion — the most severe penalty available.

The revisions also aim to make disciplinary proceedings faster and more transparent. A decision on whether to impose discipline must be reached within three months of the date a disciplinary request is filed, and the full council will be expected to respect the findings of the special ethics committee absent exceptional circumstances.

Once the full council votes to impose discipline, the name of the subject, the date of the vote, a summary of the grounds and the type of penalty will be posted on the council's website for at least seven days. However, information that could identify victims, whistleblowers or witnesses will not be disclosed, in order to protect the rights of those involved.

"District council members, as representatives of Gangnam-gu residents, are held to a higher standard of ethics and accountability than ordinary public officials," Bae said. "This ordinance and these rules clarify the standards lawmakers must uphold and establish an objective, predictable disciplinary framework for violations."

"Information that residents need to check directly — such as outside employment, conflicts of interest and meeting attendance — will be disclosed more transparently," Bae added. "For conduct that carries serious social responsibility, such as drunk driving, we will apply strict standards and hold ourselves to a higher bar."

Steering Committee Chairman Kang said public expectations of the 10th Gangnam-gu Council have grown, and the ethical and accountability standards required of its members must rise accordingly. "We will make the ethics code clear and ensure that objective, transparent standards are applied to violations, building a council that operates on principles that meet residents' expectations," he said.

The Gangnam-gu Council is scheduled to take a final vote on the ordinance and rules bill at its second plenary session on Oct. 28.