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May 09, 2007
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| Battered by criticism from the media and civic groups, Goesan’s county government decided to stop awarding its “Drinking Culture Prize’’ to its county employees who boosted the local economy the most by drinking at bars. Ahn Byung-hoon, an official of the county in North Chungcheong, said yesterday the county government will abolish the prize, which it introduced on May 1. Three county employees were awarded for drinking heavily in local bars for more than 20 years. They were given a three-day trip to Jeju Island and a plaque for what the local government said was their contribution to the local economy. After it was reported in the media, the county Web site was filled with a flurry of postings criticizing the county for encouraging binge drinking. The criticism grew louder when it became known that one of the prize winners had his driver’s license cancelled in 2005 for drunk driving. Lim Gak-soo, the county head, said he “felt sorry about the initial purpose of the prize being misinterpreted.” But he said the county will continue to reward officials who help the local economy in other ways, including shopping in stores within the county rather than outside the area. By Kim Bang-hyeon JoongAng Ilbo [enational@joongang.co.kr] |
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