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Busan Metropolitan City Audit Committee Enhances Integrity by Eliminating Blind Spots in Local Public Institutions’ Duty Management

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The Audit Committee of Busan Metropolitan City (Chairperson Yoon Hee-yeon, hereinafter referred to as the Audit Committee) announced that it had completed the “Inspection of Duty Management Practices in Public Institutions,” which was carried out over 41 days from June 17 to August 12.

This inspection was conducted to reinforce discipline among employees of city-affiliated public institutions, with particular attention to drunk driving and dual employment—areas that have been difficult to verify due to legal limitations.

◆ Overview of the Inspection of Duty Management Practices in Public Institutions

• ●(Period) June 17 (Tue) – July 25 (Fri), 2025, for 29 days
  *Busan Transportation Corporation: June 17 (Tue) – August 12 (Tue), 41 days

• ●(Subjects) 22 public institutions under Busan Metropolitan City ▷ Corporations & Foundations (5), Funded & Invested Institutions (17)

• ●(Scope) Violations related to drunk driving and dual employment, review of regulation updates, and overall duty management practices

• ●(Method) Comprehensive investigation of all institutions with submission of results, followed by review and analysis of data

Currently, unlike public officials, employees of local public institutions are not notified by investigative agencies when they are caught for drunk driving, and it is also difficult to determine in advance whether they hold secondary employment. As a result, violations have often gone unnoticed or exceeded the statute of limitations for disciplinary action, highlighting a fundamental weakness in duty management.

Accordingly, in June, the Audit Committee established a plan to conduct a “special audit on duty management in public institutions,” focusing on ▲ drunk driving and ▲ dual employment permits. In response, all institutions recognized the need to address blind spots in duty management and actively participated in the comprehensive inspection.

All 22 public institutions under Busan Metropolitan City participated in the full-scale investigation through voluntary reporting. Out of a total of 9,699 employees, excluding those on honorary retirement leave or other leave, 9,673 employees (99.7%) took part. In particular, Busan Transportation Corporation, which accounts for half of all employees surveyed, actively participated despite challenging conditions such as shift work, in line with its operational goal of prioritizing citizen safety.

Initially, the Audit Committee had planned to conduct field audits at individual institutions. However, since all 22 institutions voluntarily reported and the facts of duty management violations were confirmed, the process was conducted as an “inspection of practices” rather than a “special audit.”

Through voluntary reporting, violations that had been difficult to verify were identified. Specifically, ▲ drunk driving was confirmed in 13 out of 9,673 employees (0.1%) ▲ in the dual employment category, among 455 individuals registered as business owners, 90 had received permission for dual employment, while 365 (3.8%) required review for prohibition or approval.

This inspection is significant in that it brought hidden issues to light through the voluntary commitment of public institutions. The Audit Committee intends to improve the overall duty management system rather than focus solely on punishing violations.

Based on the inspection results, the Audit Committee plans to implement: ▲ strengthened self-inspection measures for drunk driving, including revisions to regulations, ▲ advance notification and regular monitoring of dual employment prohibitions and approvals, and ▲ institutionalizing voluntary inspection systems for vulnerable areas of duty management.

◆ Strengthened Self-Inspection Measures for Drunk Driving

• ●Self-reporting system for drunk driving: Employees must voluntarily report within a specified period if subjected to administrative or criminal penalties for drunk driving

• ●Driving record verification system: Regular submission of driving history certificates to check for drunk driving incidents

• ●Internal audit system: Verification of drunk driving history during internal audit planning

Audit Committee Chairperson Yoon Hee-yeon stated, “By systematically managing blind spots in duty management that had been neglected due to legal limitations, we have significantly strengthened the sense of responsibility and ethics in the public sector and established a turning point for institutional improvement. This inspection serves as a meaningful example of how the city and its public institutions can work together to build a more transparent and ethical Busan.”