Wonju City faces controversy over personnel evaluations and legal fund use

Wonju City is facing scrutiny over administrative decisions involving personnel evaluations and the use of public funds for legal expenses.

The Wonju City Government Employees' Union has raised allegations that the city violated the Local Public Officials Appointment Decree by altering performance evaluation criteria. Specifically, the city removed the 'compliance' metric—which deducts points for disciplinary actions—from recent evaluations. The union claims this change was implemented immediately without the required one-year notice period or proper notification on the city website, potentially providing unfair advantages to disciplined officials while disadvantaging others.

Separately, controversy has erupted regarding the city's decision to provide 20 million won in taxpayer funds to cover the legal costs of former Mayor Won Kang-su. The funds are intended for his defense against allegations of abuse of power related to the abolition of a multi-faceted evaluation system. Local civic groups and city council members have criticized the move, arguing that the former mayor himself had previously introduced ordinances that increased the limits for such legal support, creating a conflict of interest.