'Suwon City Official Caught Drunk Driving' Faces Punishment... "As Expected..."

Suwon City has taken disciplinary action against only 7 of 32 "unscrupulous officials" who were caught concealing their public servant status during drunk driving crackdowns after their identities were later exposed.

According to the city, at a personnel committee meeting held on the morning of the 12th, 7 officials who concealed the fact that they were civil servants during police drunk driving enforcement and whose identities were later revealed received light disciplinary measures: salary deduction for one month for 2 officials and written warnings for 5 officials.

The 7 officials referred to the personnel committee on that day were reportedly subject to at least one license suspension due to drunk driving (blood alcohol concentration of 0.05% or higher). Under the State Civil Servants Act, disciplinary measures are divided into levels: dismissal, removal from office, suspension, salary deduction, and written warning. Severe disciplinary action is imposed only in cases of 3 or more license suspensions due to drunk driving (blood alcohol concentration of 0.05% or higher), 2 or more license revocations, personal or material damage from hit-and-run while intoxicated, or unlicensed drunk driving while under license suspension or revocation due to drunk driving.

Prior to this, the city's audit office conducted investigations for over a month on 32 unscrupulous officials, and only 7 were referred to the Suwon City Personnel Committee. Two officials at the level of section chief or higher will face disciplinary action at the Gyeonggi Province level. The remaining 23 officials are classified as having committed relatively minor drunk driving incidents and are expected to receive reprimands and warnings.

These officials made false statements about their occupations—claiming to be unemployed or working for general companies—during police investigations to avoid personnel disadvantages when their drunk driving incidents were reported to their respective agencies.

However, even after false statements are discovered, there are no enhanced penalties or disciplinary measures, leading to these incidents being repeatedly repeated. As a result, civil society organizations and officials within the administration are raising the need to amend relevant laws or strengthen the "Guidelines for Handling Civil Servant Drunk Driving Cases."