President Moon Jae-in called for a thorough inspection Monday of all public enterprises, if necessary, to find out whether any jobs have been given out as favors to powerful political and economic figures.

The order was made in a weekly meeting with the president's top aides held at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae.

"The recent reports on illicit employment at some of our public organizations make us suspect such corruption may not be an one-off incident, but (something) that has become a part of our daily lives," the president said, according to Cheong Wa Dae pool reports.

"I ask the government to address the issue with a firm determination to completely cut off the cycle of such foul play and privilege, such as corruption in employment. First, I ask you to inspect all public entities, if necessary, to identify accurately the magnitude of corruption in employment," he added.

The president's order came after ruling and opposition lawmakers alleged that the state operator of Kangwon Land, the only casino accessible to local residents, may have hired dozens of new workers last year as favors to powerful figures, such as politicians, business leaders and ranking prosecution officials.

Some claim as many as over 500 may have been hired through such illegal means over the past few years.

President Moon said those who illicitly offered jobs as favors will face criminal charges, as well as damage suits from their organizations.

He asked the government to also consider canceling or nullifying the employment of those who landed jobs through such illicit means.

"Should such a widespread corruption scandal regarding employment arise again," the president warned, "the related public organizations, as well as their supervising government ministries, will have to face serious consequences."  (Yonhap)