"'Eradicating the Second LH Scandal'... Conflict of Interest Prevention Act to Take Effect in May Next Year"

Passed by National Assembly 8 Years After Government Bill Submission in 2013
Applied to Over 2 Million Public Officials... A Milestone for Korea's Leap to Integrity Advanced Nation
Jeon Hyun-hee: "A Landmark for Korea's Advancement as an Integrity Nation"

Jeon Hyun-hee, Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission. (Image source=Yonhap News)

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] As the Public Officials' Conflict of Interest Prevention Act passed the National Assembly plenary session for the first time in eight years, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) announced on the 30th that it will make every effort to complete follow-up measures during the one-year period until the law takes effect in May next year.

The Conflict of Interest Prevention Act, which aims to prevent and manage conflict of interest situations among public officials and eradicate unfair pursuit of private interests, was first submitted eight years ago and about two months after the LH (Korea Land and Housing Corporation) scandal occurred.

The ACRC stated that once the Public Officials' Conflict of Interest Prevention Act is promulgated, it will go through a one-year preparation period including the establishment of enforcement ordinances and is scheduled to be enforced from May next year. According to the ACRC, this progress was accelerated thanks to public opinion. The ACRC first submitted the bill to the 19th National Assembly in 2013 and it was finally legislated in the 21st National Assembly.

International organizations such as the United Nations (UN) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have long emphasized that member countries should introduce conflict of interest prevention systems to prevent corruption in the public sector. Advanced OECD countries such as the United States, France, and Canada have long enacted 'Conflict of Interest Prevention Laws' to strictly manage conflicts of interest among public officials. With the enactment of the Public Officials' Conflict of Interest Prevention Act this time, South Korea has also established a conflict of interest prevention system befitting its international status. This provides an opportunity to raise the level of integrity in our society to a higher dimension.

The ACRC has made multifaceted efforts to enact the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act. From the 19th to the 21st National Assembly, it submitted government proposals three times to promote legislation, and in April 2018, it first incorporated conflict of interest prevention provisions into the Presidential Decree on the Code of Conduct for Public Officials and has been implementing them. Recently, the LH scandal triggered a public demand to fundamentally block the pursuit of private interests such as real estate speculation using information or authority of public officials. The ACRC judged that a system must be established to fundamentally prevent the LH scandal and has been promoting legislative efforts while informing the media and the National Assembly about the Public Officials' Conflict of Interest Prevention Act.

The ACRC plans to make every effort to complete the necessary follow-up measures for the law’s enforcement during the one-year period until the law takes effect in May next year. First, it will start a research project for the establishment of enforcement ordinances from May and plans to complete the establishment of enforcement ordinances within the year through legislative procedures. It also plans to actively carry out educational activities such as regional briefings and producing guides so that public officials can fully understand the law and establish it as a code of practice within the public service. In addition, it will promote public awareness by utilizing various promotional media so that the general public can easily understand the main contents of the law.

Jeon Hyun-hee, Chairperson of the ACRC, said, "I deeply thank the citizens who stood together until the conflict of interest prevention device that can fundamentally block unfair pursuit of private interests using the status or authority of public officials was established, as well as civil society, the media, and the National Assembly who worked hard for the enactment of the law," and added, "The Conflict of Interest Prevention Act will be a historic milestone for South Korea to step up as a more advanced clean nation."

Chairperson Jeon also said, "As the government's anti-corruption control tower, the ACRC will make special efforts to restore trust in the public service damaged by the LH scandal and to establish the Public Officials' Conflict of Interest Prevention Act so that South Korea can enter the top 20 clean advanced countries in the global Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI)."

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