The Board of Audit and Inspection has found that the Seoul Metropolitan Government promoted civic servants, gave pay raises and created new organizations, all of which were irregular and not in compliance with existing regulations.
The city government created 11 new organizations in violation of the current law, despite an earlier order from the BAI to eliminate the organizations that are in excess of the number allowed. A team charged with reforming the pedestrian blocks was one such organization. In the process, the city promoted 141 public servants without approval from the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs, the BAI said.
The city also gave 5.2 billion won to public servants as business operating expenses, once again in violation of the relevant laws. The BAI also discovered cases where some high-level special government service officials were given more than 30 million won in expenses and provided with an office when they were not entitled to such benefits.
Most of these irregularities occurred during the current Park Won-soon administration. Park, a lawyer who hails from a civic organizational background, has sought to create an image of probity. He criticized wasteful spending and attacked corruption and irregular practices. Yet the BAI’s findings show that the image was only that ― an image. In fact, Park appointed his acquaintances to important positions ― one as University of Seoul professor and others as heads, auditors or board members at the city’s numerous organizations.
The revelations of taxpayer money being squandered recklessly foment discontent with Park’s city administration. Furthermore, such actions raise the suspicion that Park may have been generous ― at the expense of the taxpayer’s interests ― because he has his eyes on the next presidential election.
Park, who has reiterated on several occasions that he is focused solely on his job as the Seoul mayor, may indeed harbor a presidential ambition. A person is free to decide if he wants to run for the Blue House. If this were the case for Park, he should start paying attention to the fact that people do not take kindly to leaders who say one thing and do quite another.
