"Education Instead of Discipline" Incheon Seo-gu Introduces 'Alternative Disciplinary System' to Protect Junior Public Officials

Incheon Seo-gu is introducing an 'Alternative Disciplinary System' that allows junior public officials with low job proficiency to enhance their capabilities through education instead of facing disciplinary actions for simple mistakes.

Council Member Hong Soon-seo (People Power Party, Geomdan, Bullo Daegok, Wondang, Ara-dong) emphasized the need for the system's establishment while reviewing the specific requirements and operational methods of the newly proposed 'Alternative Disciplinary System for Warnings and Cautions' during the 278th Temporary Session of the Planning and Administration Committee on the 3rd.

Through inquiries, Council Member Hong specifically questioned whether the new alternative disciplinary system applies only to simple job incompetence and how attendance is managed during the training period.

In response, a district official explained, "The proportion of public officials with less than five years of experience is as high as one-third of all public officials in Seo-gu," and added, "In our internal audits, we found that for incompetence without intent, instead of warnings or cautions, officials will complete 20 hours of job training to boost morale and enhance practical capabilities simultaneously."

In particular, regarding the training period, the plan is to minimize administrative gaps by processing it as an extension of official duties through a 'training appointment' format.

Council Member Hong pointed out that this system has not been activated in other local governments and urged the district to create differentiated outcomes. The district responded, "Currently, some areas like South Chungcheong Province are preparing guidelines, but they are not in the activation stage," and stated, "Seo-gu will fully implement this from March, focusing on preventing repeated issues due to job incompetence."

Council Member Hong emphasized, "It is positive that junior public officials will have the opportunity to grow into professionals through education rather than being discouraged by excessive disciplinary actions," and requested that the system be operated diligently in line with its intended purpose.