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"A superior who gets travel expenses for a three-day, two-night trip that's actually only scheduled for two days and one night... an ambassador who, so he can take his daughter with him on a trip, writes down the name of someone in general affairs in the trip itinerary and cost sheet, takes the money, and brings his daughter instead of the employee.¡±
So read an internal e-mail sent by an official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT) pointing to the moral failings of ministry officials stationed abroad, the Munhwa Ilbo reported Thursday. The memo, entitled "Working together to reform our ministry" was uploaded on the ministry computer network one or two months ago, but has since been removed and replaced with another post.
The writer of the post said that he had worked for department chiefs, bureau chiefs, ambassadors, and consul generals, but he felt sad because he respected very few of them. He said that he has had superiors who went out to eat and drink with their friends and passed the bill on to the ministry, while even subordinates, pointing to their superiors¡¯ example, banded together to eat and drink on the public coin.
He gave other examples: one superior received enough money for a three-day, two-night trip even though his trip was scheduled only for two days and one night. He pocketed the remainder. Another ambassador, in order to bring his daughter along on a trip to present his credentials, wrote the name of another official along with his on the trip itinerary and planned expenditure sheet. But when it came time to go, he brought his daughter rather than the official. The writer also said that even though he felt pain and frustration with the situation, he simply said yes to everything he saw because he needed to make a living. A Judas kiss it may be, he said, but readers would know what he was saying inside.
The writer said that it was impossible to deny that those serving abroad with the Foreign Ministry have become better off financially than those in other ministries. When public officers register their property, high-level Foreign Affairs officers are always near the top, he said. Officials inflate the number of people at official dinners, pocketing the money. He also said that lower-level officials know what's going on, as do business people, expatriates and civilian employees.
The writer said that rather than superiors who pass their employees off as foreigners [to the Ministry] and treat them to greasy food in high-class restaurants, he preferred superiors who ate cheap foods like udon -- food that they pay for with money from out of their own pocket -- and can laugh and chat with their subordinates. Into this maelstrom, slogans of reform ring empty, he wrote.
The official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who supplied the letter to the Munhwa Ilbo said that while it was embarrassing to ¡°publicly air the ministry's dirty laundry,¡± he was more afraid that if the ministry cannot reform itself, it will forever be forsaken by the citizens. The Ministry is currently undergoing a comprehensive reexamination of its institutions and staff members abroad.
(Chosun.com, internetnews@chosun.com )
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