Eleven civil servants recognized for contributing to the administrative integration of South Jeolla and Gwangju will receive a total of 30 million won in special performance bonuses.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said on the 19th at Government Complex Seoul that it paid the "first special performance bonus of 2026" to five teams totaling 29 people. The total amount paid is 80 million won.
The special performance bonus was introduced under President Lee Jae-myung's order to "ensure that exceptional rewards are given to civil servants who deliver outstanding results." The aim is to foster a performance-driven culture in the civil service by providing rewards commensurate with outcomes.
The first special performance bonus recipients at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) are five teams, 29 people in total. Their areas of responsibility are ▲administrative integration (11 people) ▲government organization restructuring (7) ▲digital services (3) ▲disaster management (4) ▲balanced regional development (4).
The administrative integration task force received the largest bonus of 30 million won. They were credited with leading the launch of the "South Jeolla–Gwangju Integrated Metropolitan City," the first case of integration among metropolitan local governments, despite difficult conditions such as differences among stakeholders and a tight schedule.
The government organization restructuring team, which pursued the separation and restructuring of the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the abolition of the Prosecution Service to implement the new government's governing philosophy, received 20 million won. They were recognized for establishing a government organization system and foundation that could support the national goals of the popular sovereignty government and advance key state tasks with the launch of the new administration.
In addition, teams that contributed to the launch of the AI national assistant service, the establishment of a pan-government all-out response system to wildfires, and the activation of the Hometown Love Donation Program each received 10 million won.
The team with the highest average per-person payment was the AI national assistant team, with three people sharing a total of 10 million won. That amounts to about 3.33 million won per person.
The top individual recipient was not disclosed. An official at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) said, "The size of the payment varies by team based on the degree of public contribution," adding, "The designated amounts will be deposited into each awardee's payroll account."
Minister Yoon Ho-jung of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) said, "We will continue to provide exceptional rewards to civil servants who produce outstanding results so that we can become a happiness and safety ministry that makes people's lives even happier."