Global MPM Insight

Hyun Jisu Deputy Director of Government Ethics Policy Division, MPM 1. Introduction The architecture and construction sector directly affects public lives and safety through public decisions and oversight. Inadequate management and supervision can lead to major accidents, risks that are further amplified by inappropriate collusion between public officials and private companies. Against this backdrop, the Ministry of Personnel Management strengthened post-employment reviews of retired public officials in the architecture and construction sector in 2025. 2. Overview of Post-Employment Restrictions for Retired Public Officials Korea’s Public Service Ethics Act seeks to establish public officials’ ethics as servants of the people by preventing conflicts of interest between public and private interests that may arise during public service or for a specified period after retirement. To this end, the Act provides for asset registration and disclosure, verification of asset formation, regulation of asset acquisition through public office, gift reporting, stock blind trusts, and restrictions on the employment and conduct of retired public officials. In particular, these post- employment restrictions are significant in that they extend public service ethics beyond tenure to the entire course of public service. The post-employment restriction system for retired public officials restricts, for three years from the date of retirement, employment at private companies, corporations, or organizations above a certain size for officials who meet statutory criteria, including those retired at Grade 4 or above (hereinafter referred to as “subjects of employment review”). The system aims to enhance fairness in public administration by preventing, during service, improper collusion through preferential treatment in anticipation of post-retirement employment, and by preventing, after reemployment, the exercise of undue influence over agencies where officials previously served. However, employment may be permitted if the competent Public Service Ethics Committee determines that there is no close relationship between the individual’s duties during the five years prior to retirement and the prospective employer, or, even where such a relationship exists, if special statutory grounds are recognized based on a comprehensive assessment of factors such as prior duties and the potential to exercise influence after employment. Strengthening Employment Screening in Public Safety-Critical Sectors In this context, duties deemed to have a “close relationship” include work related to financial subsidies, permits and approvals, inspections and audits, tax assessment and collection, contracts, statutory supervision, case investigations, and other matters involving the property rights of employment review institutions. Special grounds for approving employment include cases where employment serves the public interest or enhances external competitiveness, where the individual possesses technical qualifications that can contribute to industry development, and where expertise in the intended field is demonstrated with limited potential for undue influence. 공직윤리 58 Global MPM Insight Vol.5 Strengthening Employment Screening in Public Safety-Critical Sectors 59 MPM Activities