Awards recognize policies behind 'Modu's Card' expansion, jeonse fraud victim support

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Yun-deok poses for a photo with staff during a special performance bonus ceremony on Thursday. [Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport]
Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Yun-deok poses for a photo with staff during a special performance bonus ceremony on Thursday. [Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport]

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport officials who developed policies benefiting everyday life — including the expansion of "Modu's Card," a public transit discount program, and support for jeonse fraud victims — received substantial performance bonuses.

The ministry introduced a special performance bonus system for the first time this year, selecting 17 cases that produced tangible results for the public and presenting the awards Thursday.

The system allows bonuses of up to 30 million won ($19,300) per achievement, but an external review committee — chaired by Sung Si-gyeong, a professor of public policy at Dankook University — set the top award this round at 15 million won.

Six officials, including Lee Mi-rae of the Metropolitan Transportation Economics Division at the Metropolitan Area Transportation Commission, received 15 million won for helping Modu's Card surpass 5 million users. They simplified the card's enrollment and issuance process, introduced a flat-rate transit reimbursement model with a new senior category, and improved overall convenience, easing the public's transportation cost burden.

Four officials, including Kim Hyeon-seok of the Jeonse Fraud Victim Support Team, also received 15 million won for introducing a system under which the government guarantees one-third of a tenant's lease deposit, pays it out in advance and settles the balance afterward, enabling faster recovery for fraud victims.

Seven officials from the Railway Operations Division, led by Shim Dong-hwi, received 15 million won for laying the groundwork to address seat shortages on high-speed rail by enabling cross-operation of KTX and SRT trains and integrating their reservation and ticketing systems.

Four other groups each received 10 million won: three officials from the Growth Hub Policy Division led by Park Ye-seul, who attracted 9 trillion won in private investment to the Saemangeum development zone; three officials from the Logistics Industry Division led by Lee Du-hui, who helped resolve a freight transport dispute involving convenience stores; six officials from the Transportation Service Policy Division led by Park Sam-beom, who responded to a fuel cost crisis in the logistics sector; and four officials from the Automobile Policy Division led by Choi Yong-gwan, who advanced an electric vehicle battery leasing system.

Six other achievements each earned 5 million won: improving regulations on parking robots, preventing wage theft at construction sites, reorganizing the housing supply system, providing financial support for overseas investment development projects, reforming the real estate system, and reducing fatalities from construction accidents.

Four additional cases each received 3 million won: redesigning the application of a 40-hour workweek for corporate taxi drivers, designating land transaction permit zones for foreign nationals, establishing a rapid supply plan for purchased rental housing, and improving the processing of public inquiries related to ancestral land searches.

At the ceremony, Minister Kim Yun-deok congratulated the recipients and said the ministry would continue working to serve the public interest. "I extend my congratulations and gratitude to all the recipients who produced results that the public can feel," Kim said. "Going forward, we will include not only outcome-driven achievements but also ambitious, challenging tasks among the award criteria, so as to motivate more proactive work and contribute to advancing the interests of the nation and its people."


smh@heraldcorp.com