A Seoul Metropolitan Government employee has been found to be under an internal audit after signs emerged that the employee siphoned off public funds.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on the 29th, the city recently launched an audit after identifying suspicions that employee "A" privately misappropriated office management expenses. Based on detailed records of office management expense disbursements, the city is investigating whether A inflated transaction amounts using a corporate card — paying more than the actual purchase price — to embezzle public funds.
The city is reportedly suspected that A engaged in so-called "card kkang" (a fraudulent scheme in which a cardholder makes a purchase and receives a portion back in cash) during office supply purchases. The matter came to light during a routine audit of departmental spending, and the city immediately initiated a formal audit upon recognizing the issue. A has since been transferred to a different department.
The city plans to review the detailed office management expense records and conduct interviews with the individual involved before discussing follow-up measures, including the level of disciplinary action. The Seoul Metropolitan Government had previously uncovered misconduct by its employees last year as well. In 2024, when allegations surfaced that two employees handling official development assistance (ODA) work had embezzled budget funds, the city filed criminal complaints against them with the Namdaemun Police Station.