Kwonikwi: "Nine out of Ten Citizens Support the Anti-Graft Act"

4th Anniversary of the Anti-Graft Act
Public Awareness Survey and Report on Reporting and Processing Status at Various Institutions

Kim Young-ran, Chairperson of the Sentencing Commission, is the figure who promoted the legislation of the "Act on the Prohibition of Improper Solicitation and Graft" following the 2010 'Benz Female Prosecutor' case. It has been in effect since September 28, 2016. (Image source=Photo by Joint Press Corps)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The government announced that nine out of ten of our citizens support the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act.

On the 29th, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission stated that 87.8% of the public support the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, and 88.1% believe that the implementation of the Act has had a positive impact on our society.

The Commission conducted a survey on awareness of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act from the 12th to the 28th of last month, targeting 2,070 people including the general public, workers in affected industries, and public officials.

The support rate for the Act was 87.8% among the general public, 96% among public officials, 96.55% among executives and employees of public-related organizations, and 92.8% among teachers.

The support rate also increased by 8.7 percentage points and 8.2 percentage points compared to the previous year among media company employees at 79.5% and workers in affected industries at 70.3%, respectively.

Regarding the social impact of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, an overwhelming majority responded that it does not interfere with daily life or work.

The figures were 89.4% for the general public, 96.6% for public officials, 95.5% for executives and employees of public-related organizations, 93.8% for teachers, and 86.7% for media company employees.

Source: Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission

A majority of groups subject to the Act, such as public officials and teachers, responded that requests or solicitations through personal connections and meals, gifts, or congratulatory and condolence expenses with work-related persons have decreased since the law’s implementation.

Among public officials, 80.8% answered that requests or solicitations through personal connections have decreased. The figures were 85.6% for executives and employees of public-related organizations, 80% for teachers, and 63.1% for media company employees.

Regarding the decrease in meals, gifts, and congratulatory and condolence expenses with work-related persons, 85.9% of public officials responded affirmatively. The figures were 88.1% for executives and employees of public-related organizations, 85.9% for teachers, and 82.6% for media company employees.

Regarding the addition of job duties subject to improper solicitation under the Act, 89.8% of the public agreed, and 87.8% supported the establishment of regulations prohibiting improper solicitation toward the private sector by public officials and others.

The Commission evaluated these results as indicating a spreading positive perception of the law.

Meanwhile, since the law’s enforcement on September 28, 2016, until the first half of this year (June 30), a total of 9,877 violation reports were received by public institutions at all levels.

By type, there were 6,492 cases (65.7%) of improper solicitation, 3,071 cases (31.1%) of bribery and other acceptance of valuables, and 314 cases (3.2%) related to external lectures and other excess fees.

Looking at the annual report status, there were 1,568 cases from September 28, 2016, to 2017, which surged to 4,386 cases in 2018. Afterward, the number decreased to 3,020 cases last year and 903 cases in the first half of this year.

The Commission decided to classify the results of actions taken on reports of violations by each institution, actively disclose them, and reflect whether corrective measures were taken for inappropriate handling cases in the 'Anti-Corruption Policy Evaluation.'

In the second half of the year, on-site inspections will be conducted for institutions that handled reported cases inappropriately, and improvements will be requested.

Chairperson Jeon Hyun-hee of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission evaluated, "This awareness survey also showed that public support for the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act remains high."

She added, "To strengthen the normative power of the law, we will continuously manage so that institutions strictly handle violation reports, and pursue legal amendments such as adding scholarship and trainee selection, degree conferral, and thesis review to the job duties subject to improper solicitation."

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