Workbear재주넘는곰
대법원 96누2521

Case Concerning the Revocation of a Dismissal (Removal from Office) Disposition파면처분취소

Decided1996. 06. 14. Court대법원Employer (Korea National Railroad) won
AI-generated English translation (summary, key points, decision summary and full text) for reference only — not an official translation and without legal effect. The Korean original below is authoritative.
AI Easy read — AI summary of this decision
AI-generated summary for reference only — the Korean original below is authoritative.

This case involved Korea National Railroad employees (civil servants) who left their workplace without approved annual leave (연가) to participate in an illegal rally and join a strike. The Supreme Court ruled that removal from office (파면), the harshest disciplinary measure, was justified and did not constitute an abuse of the employer's disciplinary authority (징계권 남용), given the employees' active participation in unlawful collective action.

Key takeaways
  • CaseRailroad civil servants left their posts without approved leave to join an illegal rally and strike organized by a locomotive engineers' association.
  • OutcomeThe Supreme Court upheld the removal from office, ruling it was a lawful and proportionate disciplinary measure, not an abuse of authority.
  • LessonCivil servants must wait for formal leave approval before leaving their post, and active participation in illegal strikes can justify the most severe disciplinary punishment.
Issues
  • Whether leaving the workplace without official approval, despite having applied for annual leave, constitutes grounds for disciplinary action
  • Whether removal from office (파면) imposed on railroad civil servants for participating in illegal collective action amounts to an abuse of disciplinary authority
Key reasoning

Even if a civil servant applies for annual leave within the statutory number of allowed leave days, leaving the workplace before receiving formal approval from the head of the administrative agency violates Article 58 of the State Public Officials Act (국가공무원법), which requires employees to remain at their post and follow supervisors' orders. Such unauthorized absence itself constitutes valid grounds for disciplinary action. Furthermore, because the employees actively participated in the unlawful strike activities organized by the National Locomotive Engineers' Council (전국기관차협의회) and thereby obstructed train operations, the Court found that dismissing them via removal from office was a proportionate and lawful exercise of disciplinary authority, not an abuse of it.

Summary of Decision (English, AI translation)

[1] Even if a public official applied for annual leave within the scope of his statutory annual leave days, his act of leaving his post before obtaining permission therefor from the head of the government agency to which he belongs constitutes, absent special circumstances, an act in violation of Article 58 of the State Public Officials Act (국가공무원법) and a ground for disciplinary action.

[2] Case upholding the judgment of the court below which held that the disciplinary dismissal of a public official belonging to the Railroad Administration (철도청), who actively participated in illegal collective action in sympathy with the struggle activities of the National Locomotive Engineers' Council or obstructed railway operations, did not constitute an abuse of the authority to discipline.

Full text (English, AI translation) 7,118 chars

[Plaintiffs, Appellants]

[Defendant, Appellee] Head of Seoul Regional Railroad Administration

[Lower Court Judgment]

Seoul High Court Judgment of December 29, 1995, Case No. 95Gu5297

[Order]

All appeals are dismissed. The costs of appeal shall be borne by the Plaintiffs.

[Reasoning] The grounds of appeal are examined.

1. As to Ground No. 1

The lower court's findings and determinations regarding the points raised in the argument are, in light of the evidentiary relationships set forth in the lower court's judgment, justified and acceptable, and it cannot be said that there was any misapprehension of facts as argued, or any error of law in misunderstanding the legal nature of each Emergency Countermeasures Committee (비상대책위원회) in this case and the legal principles concerning industrial actions. Furthermore, according to the record, the disciplinary action against the Plaintiffs in this case was based on grounds such as the Plaintiffs having led the activities of each Emergency Countermeasures Committee in this case, which actively supported the unlawful industrial action of the National Locomotive Engineers' Council (전국기관차협의회, hereinafter referred to as the "Jeongigyeop"), a voluntary organization, and having disobeyed the official orders of their superiors, who had instructed employees, including the Plaintiffs, not to attend unlawful labor rallies of various kinds during working hours or by using disguised annual leave or sick leave, not to incite good-faith employees with distorted claims, and not to produce or distribute leaflets containing unjust assertions, etc. Accordingly, this disciplinary action is unrelated to whether the activities of each of the above Emergency Countermeasures Committees constitute industrial action. The argument is without merit.

2. As to Ground No. 2

Even if a public official applies for annual leave within the statutory number of annual leave days, an act of leaving one's post before receiving approval from the head of the relevant administrative agency constitutes, absent special circumstances, an act in violation of Article 58 of the State Public Officials Act (국가공무원법), and is thus a ground for disciplinary action (see Supreme Court Decision 87Nu657, 658, delivered December 8, 1987, among others).

According to the reasoning of the lower court's judgment, the lower court found, based on the evidence presented, that the head of the Seoul Freight Car Office, to which Plaintiff 1 belonged, had, on June 8, 1994, already notified each section chief and branch office head of the policy of absolutely disallowing annual leave, sick leave, early leave, or outings for on-duty employees on the following day, in preparation for the Susaek District Struggle Resolution Rally to be held by the Emergency Countermeasures Committee of the Seoul Regional Headquarters of the National Railroad Workers' Union at the sports field of the said Freight Car Office; that the same content was also communicated to each section chief at a meeting of executives convened on the morning of the 9th of the same month; but that Plaintiff 1, on the morning of the 9th of the same month, merely wrote in the duty log that he was applying for annual leave, and left his post to attend the above rally without receiving approval from the office head. Based on this finding, the lower court determined that the head of the Seoul Freight Car Office was in a position where, for the smooth operation of railroad transport, he could not allow the struggle resolution rally organized by the Emergency Countermeasures Committee, a voluntary organization under his jurisdiction, to be held unchecked, and therefore his act of prohibiting his employees from taking annual leave in order to prevent them from attending the above rally cannot be seen as exceeding the bounds of his discretionary authority regarding approval of annual leave. The lower court further determined that, since the above Plaintiff merely submitted an application for annual leave under circumstances where such leave could not be approved, and left his post to organize the above struggle resolution rally on June 9, 1994, such conduct constitutes an act in violation of Article 58 of the State Public Officials Act and thus a ground for disciplinary action. Upon comparing the relevant evidence with the record, the lower court's findings and determinations as above are justified, and it cannot be said that there was any misapprehension of facts or any error of law in misunderstanding the legal principles concerning annual leave.

The precedent cited in the argument concerns a different factual situation and is not appropriate to invoke in this case. The argument is without merit.

3. As to Ground No. 3

According to the reasoning of the lower court's judgment, the lower court found that Plaintiff 1, as chairman of the Emergency Countermeasures Committee of the Seoul Regional Headquarters, a voluntary organization formed in support of the struggle activities of Jeongigyeop, produced and distributed inflammatory leaflets, left his workplace, and actively participated in unlawful collective action, including organizing the unlawful Susaek District Struggle Resolution Rally. The lower court also found that Plaintiff 2, as the action squad leader of the Emergency Countermeasures Committee of the Seoul Freight Car Office, led the above struggle resolution rally, used abusive language toward an employee of the Audit Office, incited participants to push executive staff who were performing their duties there into a cafeteria, thereby creating a hostile atmosphere, and, when the strike began under the leadership of Jeongigyeop, used abusive language toward a locomotive engineer who sought to maintain normal operations and engaged in collective disorderly conduct. The lower court determined that the degree of the Plaintiffs' involvement in such conduct was relatively serious, and that, in light of all the circumstances revealed in the pleadings of this case, including the fact that such conduct harmed the atmosphere of diligent service among railroad officials and led to the suspension of railroad operations for a considerable period, the disciplinary action of dismissal—the most severe type of disciplinary measure—imposed on the Plaintiffs cannot be regarded, in light of the Plaintiffs' long and faithful service, etc., as so harsh or so excessively severe as to be inconsistent with the equity of measures taken against other related persons, so as to exceed the bounds of disciplinary authority. In light of the record, the lower court's determination as above is justified, and it cannot be said that there was any error of law in misunderstanding the legal principles concerning abuse of disciplinary authority. The argument is without merit.

4. Therefore, all appeals are dismissed, and the costs of appeal are to be borne by the losing parties. This Judgment is rendered as set forth in the Order by the unanimous opinion of the participating Justices.

Justice Lee Yong-hoon (Presiding Justice), Park Man-ho, Park Jun-seo (Justice in Charge), Kim Hyung-sun

【판결요지】

[1] 공무원이 그 법정 연가일수의 범위 내에서 연가를 신청하였다고 할지라도 그에 대한 소속 행정기관의 장의 허가가 있기 이전에 근무지를 이탈한 행위는 특단의 사정이 없는 한 국가공무원법 제58조에 위반되는 행위로서 징계사유가 된다.

[2] 전국기관차협의회의 투쟁활동에 동조하여 불법적인 단체행동에 적극 가담하거나 철도운행을 방해한 철도청 소속 공무원을 징계파면한 것이 징계권 남용에 해당하지 않는다고 본 원심판결을 수긍한 사례.

【참조조문】

[1] 국가공무원법 제58조

[2] 국가공무원법 제78조 제1항 제1호 , 행정소송법 제27조

【참조판례】

[1] 대법원 1987. 12. 8. 선고 87누657, 658 판결(공1988, 296) /[2] 대법원 1992. 6. 26. 선고 91누11308 판결(공1992, 2298)

【주문】·【이유】 전문 2,516자 · 펼쳐 보기

【원고,상고인】

【피고,피상고인】 서울지방철도청장

【원심판결】 서울고법 1995. 12. 29. 선고 95구5297 판결

【주문】

상고를 모두 기각한다. 상고비용은 원고들의 부담으로 한다.

【이유】 상고이유를 본다.

1. 제1점에 대하여

소론이 지적하는 점에 관한 원심의 인정 판단은 원심판결이 설시한 증거관계에 비추어 정당한 것으로 수긍이 가고, 거기에 소론과 같은 사실오인이나 이 사건 각 비상대책위원회의 법적 성격과 쟁의행위에 관한 법리를 오해한 위법이 있다 할 수 없다. 그리고 기록에 의하면 원고들에 대한 이 사건 징계는 원고들이 임의단체인 전국기관차협의회(이하 '전기협'이라 한다)의 위법한 쟁의행위에 적극 동조한 이 사건 각 비상대책위원회의 활동을 주도하는 등의 행위를 함으로써, 원고들을 포함한 소속 직원들에게 근무 중 또는 위장 연·병가를 사용하여 불법적인 각종 노동집회에 참석하거나 왜곡된 주장 등으로 선량한 직원들을 선동하지 말고 부당한 주장 등을 게재한 유인물을 제작·배포하지 말 것 등을 지시한 소속 상관의 직무상의 명령에 불복종한 것 등을 이유로 하는 것이므로 위 각 비상대책위원회의 활동이 쟁의행위에 해당하는지 여부와는 무관하다 할 것이다. 논지는 이유 없다.

2. 제2점에 대하여

공무원이 그 법정 연가일수의 범위 내에서 연가를 신청하였다고 할지라도 그에 대한 소속 행정기관의 장의 허가가 있기 이전에 근무지를 이탈한 행위는 특단의 사정이 없는 한 국가공무원법 제58조에 위반되는 행위로서 징계사유가 된다 할 것이다 ( 대법원 1987. 12. 8. 선고 87누657, 658 판결 등 참조).

원심판결 이유에 의하면, 원심은 그 거시증거에 의하여 원고 1이 속한 서울객화차사무소의 소장은 1994. 6. 8., 그 다음날 위 객화차사무소 족구장에서 개최될 예정이었던 전국철도노동조합 서울지방본부 비상대책위원회 주최의 수색지구 투쟁결의대회에 대비하여 당일근무자에 대한 연가·병가·조퇴 또는 외출 등을 절대 불허할 방침임을 각 계장 및 분소장에게 미리 시달하였을 뿐만 아니라 같은 달 9. 아침에 소집된 간부회의에서도 각 계장에게 동일한 내용을 시달하였으나, 원고 1은 같은 달 9. 아침 근무상황부에 연가를 신청한다는 내용만 기재하고 소장의 허가도 받지 아니한 채 위 대회에 참석하기 위하여 근무장소를 떠난 사실을 인정한 다음, 서울객화차사무소의 소장으로서는 원활한 철도수송을 위해서는 그 산하에서 임의단체인 비상대책위원회가 주관하는 투쟁결의대회가 개최되는 것을 방치할 수 없는 입장에 있었으므로 그 소속직원들로 하여금 위 집회에 참석하지 못하도록 연가를 금지시킨 것을 두고 연가허가에 관한 재량권의 범위를 일탈하였다고 볼 수 없고, 또한 위 원고는 1994. 6. 9. 연가가 허가될 수 없는 상황에서 연가신청서만을 제출하고 위 투쟁결의대회를 주관하기 위하여 근무지를 떠난 것이므로 이러한 행위는 국가공무원법 제58조에 위반되는 행위로서 징계사유에 해당한다고 판단하였는바, 관계 증거를 기록과 대조하여 살펴보면 원심의 이와 같은 인정 판단은 정당하고 거기에 사실오인이나 연가에 관한 법리오해의 위법이 있다 할 수 없다.

소론이 들고 있는 판례는 사안을 달리하는 것으로 이 사건에 원용하기에 적절하지 아니하다. 논지는 이유 없다.

3. 제3점에 대하여

원심판결 이유에 의하면, 원심은 원고 1은 전기협의 투쟁활동에 동조하여 결성된 임의단체인 서울지방본부 비상대책위원회의 위원장으로서 선동적인 유인물을 제작 배포하고 직장을 이탈하면서까지 불법집회인 수색지구 투쟁결의대회를 주관하는 등 불법적인 단체행동에 적극 가담하였고, 원고 2는 서울객화차사무소 비상대책위원회의 행동대장으로서 위 투쟁결의대회를 주도하면서 감사담당관실 소속 직원에게 폭언을 하고 참가자들을 선동하여 그 곳에서 직무수행중이던 간부직원들을 식당으로 밀어내게 하는 등 그 분위기를 적대적인 분위기로 이끈 데다가 전기협의 주도하에 파업이 개시되자 정상운행을 꾀하는 기관사에게 폭언을 하고 집단난동을 벌였는바, 이러한 원고들의 소위는 모두 그 가담 정도가 비교적 무겁다고 할 것이고, 그로 인하여 철도공무원의 성실한 근무 분위기를 해하고 철도운행이 상당기간 중단되기에 이르게 된 점 등 이 사건 변론에 나타난 제반 사정에 비추어 볼 때, 원고들을 징계의 종류 중 가장 무거운 파면에 처한 이 사건 처분을 두고 원고들이 오랫동안 성실하게 근무하였던 점 등에 비추어 가혹하다거나 다른 관련자들에 대한 처분과의 형평에 어긋날 정도로 지나치게 무거워 징계권의 범위를 벗어난 것이라고 볼 수 없다고 판단하였는바, 기록에 비추어 보면 원심의 이와 같은 판단은 정당하고 거기에 징계권 남용에 관한 법리오해의 위법이 있다 할 수 없다. 논지는 이유 없다.

4. 그러므로 상고를 모두 기각하고 상고비용은 패소자들의 부담으로 하기로 하여 관여 법관의 일치된 의견으로 주문과 같이 판결한다.

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