Gangwon Province's education sector is drawing attention for its creative approaches to building a culture of integrity among civil servants.
After Superintendent Kang Sam-young announced he would receive real-time direct reports on irregularities in high-risk departments, the Hongcheon Office of Education introduced a "manito" friendship program pairing staff members so that each person feels someone is always watching over them with care — creating a psychological structure that makes misconduct harder to commit.
Now the Yanggu Office of Education has joined in with a program that confronts staff with the sacrifices of soldiers who gave their lives in public service, carrying an implicit message: "Can't you at least stay clean?"
The Yanggu Office of Education under Superintendent Kim Ae-ja is running an "Integrity and National Security Week" from Tuesday through Wednesday.
The connection between integrity and national security may not be immediately obvious, but the answer is straightforward: the nation's military sacrificed their lives to carry out their public duty, guiding the country from one of the world's poorest nations to a leading economy and a powerhouse of technology and culture — so the least civil servants can do is uphold integrity.
The timing is particularly apt, as the program comes just ahead of the Ulchi CPX, lending the integrity-and-security training added weight.
The week-long program was designed to move beyond the conventional classroom lecture format, instead taking staff directly to security sites. There, they can grasp firsthand what integrity and national security mean for civil servants and help foster a responsible public service culture.
Staff visited the Eulji Observatory and the War Memorial Museum in Haean-myeon, Yanggu-gun, where they experienced the reality of the country's division and the importance of national security, reflecting on the significance of the Ulchi CPX and their responsibilities as civil servants.
Before the field visit, staff signed an "Integrity and National Security Pledge" to deepen their understanding of what both values mean for public servants and to reinforce the importance of security — a step intended to boost engagement and a sense of shared purpose.
"I hope this Integrity and National Security Week gives our staff a natural opportunity to internalize the importance of both integrity and national security," Superintendent Kim said. "We will continue working to instill a strong sense of responsibility, integrity and security awareness going forward."
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