According to an exclusive report from the Seoul Shinmun on January 5, Yoo Yong-won, a member of the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly of the People Power Party, plans to propose the so-called “Song Mino Prevention Law” on January 6.
The proposed amendment includes provisions mandating the Military Personnel Administration to establish and maintain an electronic information system to manage the attendance, leaves, and absences of public service personnel.
Previously, Song Mino, who completed his public service on December 23 last year, was accused of failing to properly fulfill his duties during his service period. This incident highlighted shortcomings in the current manual management system.
In a telephone interview with the Seoul Shinmun, Representative Yoo said: “With advances in information and communication technologies (ICT) offering various e-government services, there is a need to introduce a fully electronic system to monitor the attendance of public service personnel. Given the disputes over service discipline caused by the misconduct of some staff members, we must ensure a more stable and systematic environment for their service.“
Data presented by the Military Manpower Administration to Rep. Yoo’s office revealed that unauthorized delays increased from 1,019 cases in 2020 to 1,178 cases in 2023, despite a decrease to 950 cases in 2021. Between January and November of last year , 841 cases of unauthorized delays were recorded. Similarly, cases of abandonment (including absences without leave) increased from 853 in 2020 to 1,087 in 2023, with 839 cases reported in the same period last year.
The lack of staff to oversee the management of the public service has been cited as a factor contributing to the ongoing misconduct. As of November last year, 114 Military Manpower Administration supervisory officers managed a total of 46,490 public service employees, or approximately 407 employees per supervisor.
The Military Manpower Administration has announced plans to develop an electronic attendance management system for public service personnel, with the aim of implementing it by 2027. The agency has also requested a police investigation into Song Mino for alleged violations of the Military Service Act following reports of his poor service.
