202,000 Public Interest Reports in 2019 Confirmed Suspicions... Fines and Penalties Total 224.2 Billion Won

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission Analyzes 2.99 Million Public Interest Reports Processed by 440 Public Institutions

Data provided by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Last year, public institutions confirmed allegations in 2.02 million cases, accounting for 67.7% of the approximately 2.99 million cases they handled, and imposed fines and penalties totaling 224.2 billion KRW.

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) analyzed and announced on the 2nd the status of public interest reports received and processed last year by 440 public institutions, including central administrative agencies, local governments, and public service-related organizations.

Among the 2,990,979 public interest reports handled by public institutions at all levels last year, allegations were confirmed in 2,024,926 cases (67.7%), leading investigative agencies to impose administrative sanctions or request investigations by law enforcement agencies.

The monetary sanctions imposed on the reported parties through administrative measures amounted to a total of 224.2 billion KRW, including 90.3 billion KRW by the Fair Trade Commission and 43.6 billion KRW by the National Police Agency.

Since the enforcement of the "Public Interest Whistleblower Protection Act," cumulative fines and penalties of approximately 1.2 trillion KRW have been imposed up to last year.

The number of public interest reports received by public institutions last year was 2,800,892, which is seven times higher than the 418,182 cases in 2011 when the Public Interest Whistleblower Protection Act was enacted.

In particular, the number of public interest reports last year increased by 68.4% compared to 1,663,445 cases in 2018.

This increase is attributed to the expansion of laws subject to public interest reporting from 180 in 2011 to 279 in 2016, and 284 in 2018.

The ACRC's efforts to strengthen education and publicity on handling report-type complaints for frontline civil service officers in local governments and other agencies also appear to have been effective.

Changes in public awareness regarding various issues related to public interest reporting are also considered to have had a significant impact.

According to the ACRC, awareness of public interest reporting rose from 28.4% in 2016 to 30.6% in 2017, 38.7% in 2018, and 44% last year.

By law, reports of violations of the Road Traffic Act accounted for the highest proportion at 80.7%, followed by violations of the Act on Convenience Promotion for Persons with Disabilities at 8.8%.

By sector, safety-related reports including the Road Traffic Act were the most common at 83.7%, followed by consumer interest-related reports including the Act on Convenience Promotion for Persons with Disabilities at 11.0%, and environmental reports including the Outdoor Advertisement Management Act at 3.2%.

Meanwhile, with the amendment of the Public Interest Whistleblower Protection Act, the number of laws subject to reporting is scheduled to expand from the current 284 to 467 starting November 20 this year, so the number of public interest reports received by public institutions is expected to increase further.

Han Samseok, Director of the Review and Protection Bureau at the ACRC, said, "With the significant expansion of laws subject to public interest reporting from November 20, a more comprehensive protection environment for whistleblowers will be established," adding, "We will continue efforts to improve the system so that anyone can safely make public interest reports."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.