An exterior view of the Ministry of Interior and Safety at Government Complex Sejong [Yonhap]
An exterior view of the Ministry of Interior and Safety at Government Complex Sejong [Yonhap]

Twenty local public enterprises, including the Seoul Metropolitan Government Agricultural and Marine Products Corporation, received the top "A" rating in this year's local public enterprise management evaluation, while five underperforming agencies — including Ulsan Buk-gu Facility Management Corporation — will be required to implement improvement orders by year-end following a management audit.

The Ministry of Interior and Safety convened the Local Public Enterprise Policy Committee on Thursday and announced Friday the results of the "2026 Local Public Enterprise Management Evaluation," which assessed 2025 earnings performance.

The evaluation rated the management performance of local public enterprises across five tiers from A to E. Twenty agencies that demonstrated consistently strong results in core business performance, management practices, fiscal soundness and regional cooperation earned the top A rating.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government Agricultural and Marine Products Corporation, named the top-performing agency, was recognized for strengthening cooperation with wholesale market corporations and increasing shipment volumes of price-sensitive goods, contributing significantly to price stabilization.

The corporation also earned an "excellent" rating for the ninth consecutive year in the residual pesticide category of the Food Analysis Performance Assessment Scheme (FAPAS), an international food analysis proficiency evaluation, and digitized its retail management operations. It further supported the agricultural economy through 67.7 billion won ($47.5 million) in direct shipment support to producing regions and a 1.56 billion won donation to wildfire-affected areas.

Daegu Public Facility Management Corporation introduced real-time anomaly-detection closed-circuit television cameras based on a vision-language model at its sewage treatment facilities and cut costs by localizing equipment parts and expanding waste-heat supply.

Particularly well-regarded was the corporation's takeover of an aging underground shopping arcade — a long-standing community priority — which saved 15 billion won in annual management costs, improved the vacancy rate and actively supported the revitalization of the local commercial district.

By contrast, five agencies found deficient in management systems or financial soundness were designated for management audits following deliberation by the Local Public Enterprise Policy Committee.

The list includes Ulsan Buk-gu Facility Management Corporation, which fell short on management systems such as organizational and personnel administration as well as business profitability ratios, and Incheon Environmental Corporation, which recorded a disproportionately high number of serious safety incidents compared with similar agencies and showed a marked decline in recent evaluation results.

The Ministry of Interior and Safety plans to form audit teams composed of experts including certified accountants in September, tailored to each agency's areas of weakness, and conduct on-site inspections. Based on the findings, the ministry will issue management improvement orders by year-end and closely monitor compliance.

Vice Minister of Interior and Safety Kim Min-jae said local public enterprises play an indispensable role in delivering public services at the community level where they have the most direct impact on people's daily lives. "The ministry will continue to operate rigorous management evaluations so that local public enterprises can strengthen the public value that citizens can feel in their everyday lives and lead regional development," Kim said, adding that the ministry would spare no effort in providing system improvements and customized consulting support.


thlee@heraldcorp.com