Suwon's Integrity Rating Tops Municipal-Level Local Governments for Two Consecutive Years

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] Suwon City announced on the 9th that it received Grade 2, the "Excellent Grade," in the '2021 Public Institution Integrity Evaluation' conducted by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, maintaining the highest rating among municipal-level basic local governments for two consecutive years.

In this evaluation, no local government among the nation's 75 cities received a Grade 1 comprehensive integrity rating, making Grade 2 the top-tier classification.

Suwon City, which received Grade 2 (the top tier as no Grade 1 local governments existed) last year, achieved the distinction of "maintaining the highest integrity rating for two consecutive years."

Suwon City's comprehensive integrity score was 8.22 points (out of 10), 0.26 points higher than the municipal-level basic local government average of 7.96. External integrity scored 8.54 points (up 0.03 points from the previous year's 8.51), earning Grade 2, while internal integrity scored 7.42 points (down 0.15 points from the previous year's 7.57), earning Grade 3.

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission calculates public institution integrity ratings by reflecting survey results on internal and external integrity and whether corruption incidents have occurred.

In this evaluation, Suwon City's "personnel management integrity" (9.23 points), a component of internal integrity measurement, increased 0.69 points from the previous year's 8.54.

In surveys targeting external citizens, no respondents reported having "provided money, entertainment, or favors to Suwon City public officials," resulting in a high score in the "corruption experience" category of external integrity.

This year, Suwon City established and implemented the '2021 Comprehensive Integrity Enhancement Plan,' comprising three areas and 15 detailed tasks: ▲strengthening integrity improvement system establishment and management ▲establishing an integrity culture through voluntary participation ▲implementing integrity policies that citizens can feel, and ▲promoting transparency and fairness in contract affairs.

The city made continuous efforts to enhance fairness and transparency in contract processes and strengthened personnel management transparency by regularly disclosing personnel information internally.

To elevate public officials' integrity awareness, the city conducted rank-specific and job-specific integrity training and designated "integrity officers" in each department. The city also diagnosed corruption risks among officials of Grade 5 and above through external service organizations and conducted a "integrity pledge relay challenge" among senior civil servants, making efforts to spread an integrity culture.

Meanwhile, Suwon Urban Development Corporation received an Excellent Grade (Grade 2) in an integrity evaluation targeting public-sector-affiliated organizations (local public corporations and public agencies). As no public-sector-affiliated organizations received Grade 1 in this evaluation, Grade 2 is the top-tier classification.