Civil servants' union demands overhaul of corrupt fire department leadership
"Actions that have destroyed public trust… the organization must acknowledge internal oversight failures and reform itself"
The Incheon branch of the National Public Service Workers' Union's fire department division has called for a thorough investigation and organizational overhaul amid allegations that senior Incheon fire officials accepted golf outings and concert tickets from subordinates.
The Incheon fire branch issued a statement Tuesday calling for a strong response from Incheon Fire Headquarters, saying allegations of moral laxity and disciplinary misconduct by some senior officials in an organization entrusted with public safety "tarnish the honor of the vast majority of upright fire service civil servants."
The union said in the statement that the allegations — recently reported in the media — of senior fire officials accepting golf outings and concert tickets "undermine the integrity and impartiality required of public servants." It called for a clear determination of whether any entertainment or preferential treatment was provided in exchange for the use of official positions.
The union added that such conduct "deeply wounds firefighters who dedicate themselves day and night at the scene for public safety," stressing that the matter must not be dismissed as individual misconduct or resolved with a slap on the wrist.
The Incheon fire branch called on Incheon Fire Headquarters to carry out a thorough investigation into the golf and concert ticket allegations, disclose whether any quid pro quo was involved and release the relevant facts, take strict action against officials implicated in the misconduct allegations, and improve the internal oversight system.
The union said the organization "must acknowledge the limitations of an oversight system that failed to screen out misconduct by senior officials in advance, and put in place measures to prevent a recurrence and root out abuse of power."
It also warned that "if this incident is reduced to a simple personal matter and concluded without organizational reform, the trust of frontline fire service civil servants and the public will be lost."
Meanwhile, the allegations of personnel favoritism and golf entertainment involving some senior fire officials surfaced after tips from fire headquarters employees reached fire authorities earlier this month.
The tips reportedly contained details suggesting that a new station chief who took up the post in March had received improper treatment from employees, including golf outings, in exchange for promotions.
gilbert@heraldcorp.com
