Corruption Acts Can Also Be Reported by Lawyers Like Public Interest Reports... Expanded Immunity Scope and Relief Funds

Kwonikwi "Passed the National Assembly's Political Affairs Committee on November 29"
Reduction of administrative sanctions... Full payment of litigation costs, etc.

Amendment to the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act to double the gift value of holiday agricultural and livestock products from 100,000 to 200,000 won also processed

Jeon Hyun-hee, Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission. / Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Reporting of corrupt acts will now be allowed to be done anonymously through a lawyer, similar to public interest reporting. The scope of liability reduction for whistleblowers and the amount of compensation payments have also been expanded.

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission announced on the 1st that the amendment to the Anti-Corruption and Rights Commission Act, which significantly strengthens protection and compensation for whistleblowers reporting corruption, passed the National Assembly's Political Affairs Committee on the 29th of last month.

The regulations were extensively refined to strengthen the protection system for whistleblowers and encourage reporting. First, an anonymous proxy reporting system was introduced, allowing whistleblowers to report under a lawyer’s name without revealing their personal information. Even if illegal acts by the whistleblower related to the report are discovered, the scope of liability reduction has been expanded to include not only criminal punishment and disciplinary action but also administrative sanctions. The Commission has also established grounds to request the relevant institution to reduce the whistleblower’s liability.

The scope of compensation was expanded to cover all litigation costs (including attorney fees) incurred due to defamation, false accusation, and other disputes arising from the report. Currently, compensation is only provided for litigation costs related to reinstatement after dismissal caused by reporting, but this scope has been broadened.

The amendment also includes provisions requiring institutions to mandatorily inform employees who are dismissed for misconduct subject to reemployment restrictions that they cannot be reemployed in public institutions. Under current law, public officials who are automatically retired, dismissed, or removed due to corruption related to their duties during employment, or former public officials sentenced to fines of 3 million won or more, are restricted from reemployment in public institutions or related private companies for five years after their retirement date.

New grounds were established allowing the Commission to request audits from supervisory agencies such as the Board of Audit and Inspection or other relevant administrative agencies if it confirms that employees of related administrative agencies intentionally or through gross negligence handled complaints unlawfully or unfairly during grievance processing.

Kim Giseon, Director of the Commission’s Review and Protection Bureau, said, "If the amendment passes the plenary session of the National Assembly (scheduled for the 9th), protections and compensations such as confidentiality for whistleblowers, liability reduction, and compensation payments will be further strengthened, contributing to the activation of reporting. We will do our best to ensure the bill passes."

Meanwhile, the Commission also announced that on the 29th of last month, the Political Affairs Committee passed an amendment doubling the allowable value of agricultural and livestock product gifts under the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act from 100,000 won to 200,000 won, but only during the Lunar New Year and Chuseok holidays.

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