The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said on the 11th it will fully implement a "special performance bonus system for public officials" to build a results-driven culture in the civil service and strengthen policy outcomes.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) detailed the special performance reward system introduced under the revised Regulation on the Operation and Innovation of Administrative Affairs. It will award up to 30 million won in bonuses to public officials who deliver significant results in supporting small and midsize businesses.
The system will operate under three principles: ▲bold rewards ▲public selection ▲transparent disclosure. Breaking from internal, organization-centered evaluations, it will be the first among government ministries to adopt a "public audition" format. Results felt by the public and small and midsize businesses will determine the final rankings.
Under the special performance bonus system, public officials who produce important outcomes for small and midsize businesses—such as promoting the public interest, enhancing administrative efficiency and transparency, and maintaining public safety and order—will be identified through recommendations by themselves or colleagues, and by small and midsize business associations and groups.
Next, for the submitted proposals, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) will conduct public verification on its website, expert evaluations by the private sector, and satisfaction surveys of policy beneficiaries to select up to six candidate proposals. Finally, the public audition with participation from the public and beneficiaries of small and midsize business policies will determine the final rankings and prize money.
Starting today, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) will accept applications and, after private expert evaluations and public verification, plans to hold the first public audition for the special performance bonuses in early Apr. Members of the public who wish to take part in on-site evaluations by policy beneficiaries for the public audition and in the online public evaluation can apply through the MSS website and Sotong24. Recruitment methods and the schedule will be announced separately.
Deputy Minister for Planning and Coordination Kim Woo-jung said, "This system is not a simple internal reward; it institutionalizes a structure in which policy beneficiaries directly evaluate the real-world impact of small and midsize business policies, and public officials explain policy results before the public."