Ministry of Foreign Affairs Integrity Rating Falls to Lowest Level... Remains at Bottom for Four Consecutive Years

Among the 70 disciplinary cases over five years,
34.3% involved senior diplomats and special envoys

Sungjun Park: "Weakening discipline accumulated under the previous administration"

It has been confirmed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' overall integrity rating fell to the lowest level in the evaluation by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission. Over the same period, there were as many as 70 disciplinary actions against ministry personnel, with one-third involving high-ranking officials such as senior diplomats and special envoy ambassadors.

According to materials submitted by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Sungjun Park, Chief Spokesperson of the Democratic Party of Korea and a member of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received a level 5 rating in the 2025 comprehensive integrity assessment. This is the lowest rating since the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission integrated integrity measurement and anti-corruption policy evaluation into a comprehensive integrity assessment system in 2022.

Sungjun Park, Chief Spokesperson of the Democratic Party of Korea. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs received a level 4 rating for three consecutive years from 2022 to 2024, but dropped to the lowest level in last year's assessment. The rating has been at level 4 or below for four consecutive years.

More than half of the disciplined employees faced severe disciplinary action. Over the past five years (from 2021 to September 2026), there were a total of 70 disciplinary cases involving ministry personnel, of which 38 were classified as severe: one case of dismissal, 11 cases of removal from office, four cases of demotion, and 22 cases of suspension.

More than one-third of these disciplinary actions involved high-ranking officials who are supposed to supervise and oversee the organization. Of the 70 disciplinary cases, 20 involved senior diplomats and four involved special envoy ambassadors.

By reason for disciplinary action, there were eight cases of sexual misconduct, which resulted in four employees being removed from office and one being dismissed. There were 14 cases of abuse of authority, workplace bullying, demeaning language, or unfair treatment, where individuals misused their organizational power. There were six cases involving violations of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, acceptance of money or valuables, or embezzlement of public funds. In addition, there were five cases of driving under the influence, and five cases of violations of security regulations or confidentiality obligations.

Sungjun Park stated, "The lax discipline and culture of covering for one’s own people that accumulated under the previous administration has ultimately resulted in the lowest possible rating on record. Diplomatic service for the public good cannot be expected to come from an organization where bullying and abuse of power are rampant. During this year’s parliamentary audit, I will focus on holding the Ministry of Foreign Affairs accountable for its ongoing lack of discipline among public officials."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.