South Korean public institutions face 52 economic misconduct cases

An analysis of 17 public institutions under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport revealed 52 cases of economic misconduct between January 2024 and May 2026. According to Representative Bok Ki-wang of the Democratic Party, the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) accounted for the highest number of incidents with 20 cases, representing 38.5% of the total.

The most frequent type of misconduct was the receipt of money or entertainment, accounting for 55.8% of the cases. Other violations included embezzlement, unauthorized secondary employment, and fraudulent receipt of salaries or allowances. While economic misconduct made up only 7.1% of all disciplinary actions, it accounted for 48.1% of all dismissals during this period.

Specific incidents included an LH manager receiving 10 million won from a supplier in exchange for procurement data, and another LH team leader using corporate cards for 77 personal meals totaling over 15 million won. In other cases, employees at the Korea Expressway Corporation and Korea National Railway faced disciplinary measures for providing stock information for money and accepting golf expenses, respectively. Representative Bok called for a zero-tolerance policy to protect public trust and the integrity of honest employees.