This is the Hwang Yunsang Administrative Agent Office, a licensed administrative agent (Haengjeongsa) office serving Incheon and Songdo. This week we look at a gap in the rules on School Violence Countermeasures Committee meeting records, first-half wage arrears statistics, and a Supreme Court ruling in a civil servant disciplinary case.
Today's 3 key points > 1. School Violence Countermeasures Committees have a duty to write and keep minutes, but no duty to record meetings or keep audio files. The minutes only need to summarize the main points, not every statement. > 2. Unpaid wages in the first half of this year totaled 924.7 billion won, of which arrears at suspended or closed businesses were 153.1 billion won (16.6%), about 2.6 times the same period three years ago. > 3. The Supreme Court held that even if some disciplinary grounds are not accepted, the remaining grounds alone can justify demotion, and overturned the appellate ruling that had cancelled the demotion.
## 1. Requesting access to and copies of School Violence Committee minutes: no duty to keep recordings
- What is the issue: The School Violence Prevention Act requires the School Violence Countermeasures Committee to write and keep minutes stating the date and place of the meeting, the members present, the discussion and the resolutions. The victim student, the offending student or their guardians may request disclosure of the minutes. However, there is no duty to record the meeting or to prepare and keep a separate transcript. The Gyeongnam Office of Education's "2026 Guide to Operating School Violence Countermeasures Committees" also states that there is no duty to produce stenographic or audio records and that the minutes need only record the main points.
- What happens in practice: It was reported that a parent complained that the minutes contained words that were never actually said, but no original recording remained to check them against. The education office acknowledges the need for accuracy and transparency, but says leaked audio files could cause secondary harm, and that it will review ways to improve the system.
- Who it affects: Students and guardians facing a committee review or who have received a decision on measures
- Effective from: Not a rule change (a gap in the current system has been pointed out; improvements are under review)
- A word from the administrative agent: The minutes are key evidence for challenging the basis of a measure in an administrative appeal. Once you receive the decision, request disclosure of the minutes right away, and write down your own statements with the date right after the hearing. The deadline for filing an administrative appeal is 90 days from the date you became aware of the disposition.
- Source: [Gyeongnam Domin Ilbo · How can the authenticity of committee minutes be checked?](https://www.idomin.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=2015740) (Basis: provisions of the School Violence Prevention Act on writing, keeping and requesting disclosure of minutes; Gyeongnam Office of Education 2026 committee operating guide)
## 2. First-half unpaid wages at 924.7 billion won; arrears at suspended or closed businesses at 16.6%
- What was released: According to an analysis of Ministry of Employment and Labor data by the office of Rep. Park Hae-cheol of the National Assembly Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee, total unpaid wages in the first half of 2026 came to 924.7 billion won. Workplaces with fewer than 30 employees accounted for 685.7 billion won, or 74.2% of the total; of this, workplaces with 5 to 29 employees accounted for 372.5 billion won and those with fewer than 5 employees for 313.2 billion won.
- Suspended or closed businesses: Suspended businesses accounted for 45.4 billion won and closed businesses for 107.6 billion won, 153.1 billion won (16.6%) in total. The share, which was 7.4% in the same period three years ago, has more than doubled, and the amount has grown about 2.6 times.
- Who it affects: Workers at small workplaces, and small business owners considering suspending or closing their business due to financial difficulty
- Effective from: Not a rule change (data released for the parliamentary audit)
- A word from the administrative agent: When a business closes, the employer often becomes unreachable and it becomes hard to gather work records. If wages go unpaid, first secure your employment contract, salary transfer records and attendance records, and check both the statute of limitations on wage claims (3 years) and the requirements for applying for the substitute payment of wages (government wage guarantee).
- Source: [SBS Biz · 924.7 billion won in wages unpaid over half a year](https://biz.sbs.co.kr/article/20000336190) · [Kyeongin Maeil · Share of arrears at suspended or closed businesses 7.4%→16.6%](https://www.kmaeil.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=652600) (Primary source: data submitted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, analyzed by the office of Rep. Park Hae-cheol)
## 3. Lawsuit to cancel a civil servant's demotion: disposition upheld even if some grounds fall away
- What was decided: In a lawsuit by an officer of the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency seeking cancellation of a demotion, the First Division of the Supreme Court overturned the lower court ruling that had cancelled the demotion and sent the case back to the Busan High Court. The officer called a complainant 20 times and sent 19 text messages asking for the complaint to be withdrawn, and repeatedly made romantic advances while on patrol duty despite being refused, among other things, and was demoted in October 2023.
- Court's reasoning: The officer lost at first instance, but the appellate court did not accept some of the disciplinary grounds and cancelled the demotion. The Supreme Court held that even if some grounds are not accepted, pressuring the complainant to withdraw the complaint alone could justify demotion, that improperly obtaining personal information and neglect of duty were also valid disciplinary grounds, and that the disposition followed the internal disciplinary guidelines.
- Who it affects: Civil servants who have been disciplined or are preparing a civil service appeal review
- Effective from: Reported on September 27 (date of ruling and case number ⚠️ original source needs checking)
- A word from the administrative agent: When contesting discipline, knocking out a few grounds may not be enough, as the disposition can still stand. You need to argue, by comparing against the disciplinary guidelines table, whether the penalty is excessive based on the remaining grounds alone. A civil service appeal review must be filed within 30 days of receiving the written statement of the grounds for the disposition.
- Source: [Financial News · Officer who pressured withdrawal of complaint… Supreme Court: "Demotion lawful"](https://www.fnnews.com/news/202609271800185512) · [Seoul Shinmun · Supreme Court on officer who neglected duty: "Discipline justified"](https://www.seoul.co.kr/news/society/law/2026/09/27/20260927500079)
## Deadlines to watch this week
- October 13: Administrative notice period ends for the Fair Trade Commission's draft amendment to the leniency notice for cartel self-reporting (follow-up to the September 24 briefing)
- October 19: Deadline for comments on the draft amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Mental Health Welfare Act (common tasks of psychological counseling)
- November 2: Deadline for comments on draft amendments to the Enforcement Decree and Enforcement Rules of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Enforcement Decree of the Fair Trade Act, and the Enforcement Decree of the Medical Service Act (non-face-to-face treatment)
*This briefing was compiled by the Hwang Yunsang Administrative Agent Office based on publicly available information. Whether it applies to an individual case must be confirmed with the competent authority.*