Traveled to the UK Only for a Video Conference: Travel Expenses Alone Reached 60 Million Won

[Anchor]

A few years ago, executives and employees of the Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water) traveled all the way to the United Kingdom on an overseas business trip, stating they would sign an MOU with Ukraine. While the budget alone cost 60 million won, it was belatedly revealed that they only held a video conference once in the UK. The Ministry of Climate pointed out that budget funds were wasted on what amounted to a junket.

Kim Bo-mi reports.

[Reporter]

In late July 2023, the Korea Water Resources Corporation issued a press release announcing that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding Ukraine's reconstruction project with "UHE," Ukraine's state-owned hydropower company.

The release stated that they held a meeting in Liverpool, England, alongside officials such as representatives from the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

However, according to the audit findings on K-water by the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment obtained by SBS, it was confirmed that officials from UHE and the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the MOU counterparts at the time, did not come to Liverpool.

The person pictured in the press release photo was a Ukrainian lawmaker who was unrelated to the MOU.

In the actual photo of the MOU signing, only two K-water officials are present.

The two MOUs were actually concluded via "video conference."

The "six-day, four-night trip to Liverpool" by six K-water executives and employees cost around 60 million won in budget funds.

The audit revealed that out of the nine itineraries originally presented in the business trip plan, five—including meetings with the Ukrainian delegation—were not held at all, and the officials instead toured the University of Liverpool, an activity unrelated to the reconstruction project.

In its audit disposition notice, the Ministry of Climate pointed out, "An unnecessary official business trip was carried out to Liverpool, England, to sign MOUs that could have been participated in via video conference from within Korea," adding, "Public corporation funds were wasted on junket itineraries."

Among the travelers, K-water only issued a warning to the head of the division, who holds an executive director-level position, and handed down a reprimand to the director in charge, a Grade 2 official, for negligence in work supervision.

[Lee Jong-bae / Member of National Assembly Climate and Labor Committee (People Power Party): Wasting taxpayers' money (must be prevented) through thorough and strict screenings by the overseas business trip review committee in advance.]

K-water explained that Liverpool was initially selected as the venue for the MOU signing because the Ukrainian delegation was scheduled to attend an international event there, but "the employees who went on the trip only learned after arriving at the site that the trip to the UK had become difficult for the Ukrainian delegation due to circumstances on the Ukrainian side."

However, it stated that there are no separate supporting documents because the matter had been discussed verbally.

(Video: Shin Dong-hwan and Kim Nam-seong | Video Editing: Lee Seung-jin | Design: Seo Hyun-jung)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.