The Government Public Service Ethics Committee has rejected an employment application by Kim Yung-rok, former governor of Jeollanam-do Province, who had been seen as a leading candidate for president of Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO).
The committee disclosed on the 23rd the results of its review of 87 employment applications from retired public officials, including Kim. It said it imposed employment restrictions in seven cases where it found a close work-related connection between the applicant's department or agency during the five years before retirement and the institution where they planned to work. In 11 other cases, the committee denied approval after determining that the applications did not meet the grounds for approval set out in law.
Those 11 included the rejection of Kim's application to head KEPCO. The committee determined that the position did not qualify on grounds of national security, strengthening national competitiveness abroad or serving the public interest, nor was it a case in which the applicant would have little scope to exert influence after taking the job.
The committee also denied approval for two former senior civil servants from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy who had sought posts as head of the Korea Automobile Testing & Research Institute (KATRI) under the Korea Transportation Safety Authority and as standing vice chairman of the Korea City Gas Association.
The committee added that it had asked the competent court to impose fines in three cases in which individuals subject to employment screening took jobs without first undergoing the committee's review.
