President Lee Myung-bak Monday warned that government officials will be held accountable for every penny of the budget they execute following a recent series of embezzlement cases involving government officials at various levels.
"The government will be lenient to officials who make simple mistakes while working hard, but will make an example of those who engage in corruption," the president was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency in his biweekly radio address broadcast nationwide.
The remarks came after a 38-year-old official from a district office in Yangcheon, Seoul, was arrested last month on suspicion of embezzling over 2.6 billion won ($1.85 million) from a state fund for the disabled.
An official from Seoul's Yongsan district office was also charged earlier in the month on suspicions of misappropriating over 100 million won.
"This truly is a shameful act," Lee said, noting the funds allegedly stolen by the officials was meant for those who most need them.
"I cannot understand how government officials, who must (already) be working with a sense of regret for not being able to help more, could commit such ac act," he added.
Lee said all of the government funds spent will now carry the name of the official who authorizes the spending while those caught embezzling or misusing taxpayers' money will be forced to pay back twice as much.
The recent corruption scandals have placed the government under mounting public criticism for seeking to win parliamentary approval for a 30-trillion-won supplementary budget, the largest in history, while doing little to ensure transparency in spending.
Lee said the extra budget was necessary to fight the ongoing economic crisis.