Police Chief Took a “Five-Minute-Ready Emergency Vehicle” for Personal Use to Avoid Vehicle Rotation System—Result: Only a Pay Cut

[Financial News] A former police station chief who used an emergency-response vehicle required to remain ready for deployment within five minutes for personal commuting, in an attempt to avoid the public-sector vehicle rotation system, received what amounted to a slap-on-the-wrist punishment: a three-month pay reduction.
According to the Korean National Police Agency and other sources on the 15th, the Central Disciplinary Committee decided in July to impose a three-month pay reduction on Kwon Mi-ye, former chief of Seoul Seongdong Police Station. A pay reduction involves cutting one-third of an employee’s salary for one to three months and is considered a minor disciplinary measure, far less severe than dismissal, removal from office, demotion, or suspension.
An inspection found that Kwon, the former chief, repeatedly took an electric government vehicle designated for emergency deployment by the initial-response team for commuting, in order to evade the public-sector vehicle rotation system implemented to conserve energy.
The vehicle was a key public-safety asset that had to be deployed immediately when an emergency occurred. The investigation also confirmed that her absurd personal misuse created a serious gap in the initial-response operation.
The Korean National Police Agency, taking the seriousness of the matter into account, placed Kwon on standby in May and immediately referred her to the disciplinary committee. President Lee Jae Myung had also strongly ordered a prompt inspection and “severe accountability” shortly after learning of the allegations through media reports.
Despite the misconduct of a senior official that caused a public-safety gap and the VIP’s order for severe punishment, the case ultimately ended with the lowest-level minor disciplinary measure. The police are therefore likely to face criticism that this was a typical case of “protecting their own.”

[email protected] Park Ji-hyun Reporter