“Jo Jun-young, a member of the Geumjeong District Council from the Democratic Party of Korea. /Yonhap News.”
A district council member in Busan apologized after making inappropriate remarks about a district office official’s physical appearance.
According to the Geumjeong District Branch of the Korean Government Employees’ Union in Busan on the 2nd, Jo Jun-young, a member of the Geumjeong District Council from the Democratic Party of Korea, apologized on the union’s bulletin board on the 29th, saying, “I sincerely apologize for causing deep hurt to Mr. A and his family.”
Jo was criticized for making inappropriate comments during the administrative audit last month. At the time, Jo said to a district office executive, “Mr. A, you’re hard to see. Please turn a little so we can make eye contact,” to which Mr. A replied, “Yes, I’ve turned a bit.”
Then Jo commented on Mr. A’s height, saying, “Mr. A, what did you do while others were eating and growing?” During the administrative audit, there were five district council members and more than 20 civil servants present, and the meeting was broadcast to all departments where about 800 people work.
Immediately, criticism towards Jo flooded the civil servants’ union bulletin board. A post titled “Controversy over derogatory remarks about the physical attributes of a senior official during a member’s administrative audit” appeared, along with dozens of negative comments.
One comment stated, “The administrative audit is meant to monitor policies, not a stage for demeaning, mocking, and yelling at civil servants,” adding, “The era where civil servants must endure such behavior is over.”
In his apology, Jo said, “I deeply regret forgetting the dignity and caution that a public official should uphold,” and added, “I will take time to reflect on myself as a public servant.”