“Following the recent signing of the memorandum, Korea will assist Uzbekistan with its successful administration reform and with establishing a transparent and responsible personnel management system for public officials,” said Personnel Minister Kim Pan-suk. “The special partnership would hopefully expand further.”

The memorandum was signed in the presence of President Moon Jae-in and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev when the Korean state chief visited the country last month.

According to the ministry, Uzbekistan had requested Korea’s support as it seeks to establish a public official system after declaring independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

The Uzbekistan government has shown interest in Korea’s civil service ethics system, which requires public officials to register their personal property and prohibits them from holding outside works. The ministry said the country was looking into Korea’s recruitment and promotion system of public servants, including the recruitment, salary and welfare systems.

During his visit to Seoul last month, Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Kuchkarov Jamshid Anvarovich invited Kim to visit Uzbekistan in January and asked him to deliver a lecture and training session to public officials in their Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations and Ministry of Finance.

By Jo He-rim (herim@heraldcorp.com)