Civil servants who deliberately commit drug-related crimes will be removed from office even if they are first-time offenders, the personnel management ministry said Thursday.

The no-tolerance principle was included in the ministry’s major policy plan for this year in order to prevent and root out drug crimes involving civil servants, officials said.

The ministry will put together specific guidelines on the firing or dismissal of civil servants involved in drug crimes, officials said.

The ministry also laid out plans to improve working conditions of civil servants, including raising the initial salary of grade nine public servants 6 percent year-on-year, and expanding the annual leave of junior employees.

Source: Yonhap News Agency