In a concerted effort to foster a transparent and respectful work environment, three major public institutions in Gyeongbuk Province—the Gyeongbuk Culture and Tourism Organization (GCTO), Gyeongbuk TechnoPark (GBTP), and the Gyeongbuk Development Corporation (GBDC)—have successfully launched the "2026 Integrity Practice Joint Campaign" through their collaborative consultative body, "Cheongryeom·Ingwon Gyeongbuk Ieum" (Integrity & Human Rights Gyeongbuk Connecting Body).

Established to promote sustainable integrity and human rights values across the region, this inter-institutional alliance aims to address systemic vulnerabilities, preemptively eliminate corruption risks, and internalize a culture of mutual respect among employees.

Proactive Collaboration and Tailored Strategies

The campaign represents the culmination of months of meticulous planning and cooperative effort. Drawing from comprehensive analyses of previous anti-corruption vulnerability assessments, working-level officials from the three organizations convened starting in April 2026. Through a series of joint working-level consultations, the collaborative body identified critical areas for improvement unique to each organization's operational scope and jointly produced promotional video content to maximize internal engagement and awareness.

Building upon these preparatory measures, the consultative body hosted the "Integrity and Human Rights Organizational Culture Expansion Workshop" in July 2026. Approximately 60 employees from the participating institutions gathered to exchange insights, review organizational pain points, and collect broad-based feedback. This collaborative platform culminated in the establishment of customized organizational culture improvement slogans tailored to the distinct institutional characteristics and operational needs of each entity.

Core Slogans and Leadership-Driven Execution

To ensure the campaign resonates deeply across all organizational levels and drives tangible behavioral changes, each participating institution adopted a representative slogan targeting specific everyday workplace practices:

Gyeongbuk Culture and Tourism Organization (Focus on Language and Communication Culture): “Add dignity to your words, and respect to one another.” This slogan emphasizes eradicating authoritative language, verbal abuse, or derogatory remarks, encouraging courteous and supportive communication among colleagues.
Gyeongbuk TechnoPark (Focus on Leave and Rest Culture): “Take your leave with confidence, and handle your duties seamlessly.” This initiative addresses the implicit hesitation or pressure employees often face when utilizing statutory annual leave, fostering a healthy work-life balance where taking rightful time off is normalized and respected.
Gyeongbuk Development Corporation (Focus on Work Allocation and Accountability Culture): “Stop shifting responsibilities, start sharing accountability.” This guiding principle tackles the systemic issue of unjust burden-shifting or passing unauthorized tasks to colleagues, promoting transparent task distribution and collaborative problem-solving.
A defining characteristic of this year's campaign is the active, hands-on leadership demonstrated by the executive heads of all three organizations. Rather than delegating promotional duties, the CEOs directly participated in promotional activities, including slogan picket demonstrations and the creation of official campaign posters. By spearheading these initiatives, the leadership has significantly amplified the campaign's momentum, signaling an unyielding institutional commitment to ethical governance and human rights protection from the top down.

Commitment to Sustainable Regional Trust

The "Cheongryeom·Ingwon Gyeongbuk Ieum" consultative body plans to institutionalize these practices, continuously expanding leadership-led integrity campaigns to embed these values permanently into the DNA of public service in Gyeongbuk.

Kim Nam-il, President and CEO of the Gyeongbuk Culture and Tourism Organization, underscored the profound significance of the initiative, stating, “Integrity is the foundational strength that enables us to collaborate with mutual trust, and it serves as the very root of the confidence placed in us by our local communities and customers.” He further emphasized, “We remain fully dedicated to pioneering an exemplary integrity and human rights-driven organizational culture that local residents can genuinely see, feel, and trust in their daily lives.”

Through this collaborative framework, Gyeongbuk’s leading public agencies continue to set a benchmark for public sector reform, proving that regional development and administrative excellence must be built upon an unwavering bedrock of ethical integrity, mutual respect, and absolute accountability.

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