Three Years on from the Enforcement of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, How It Changed Everyday Life of People to be Talked about

On September 26, an open-panel discussion will be held at an event ‘The Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, Going Clean Together’

September 17, 2019

Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission

The Republic of Korea

Marking the third anniversary of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Anti-Graft Act’), the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC, Chairperson Pak Un Jong) on September 26 at 2 p.m. at the KT Square Dream Hall in Gwanghwamun, Seoul held an event under the theme of ‘The Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, Going Clean Together,’ where an open panel discussion with regard to how people’s perceptions, behaviors and culture have changed after the implementation of the Anti-Graft Act and its way forward will take place.

At the event slated to be hosted by an anchor Kim Hyun Wook, who has introduced several TV programs such as ‘the Morning Show, Golden Bell Challenge, and Live Info Show,’ the results of the public perception survey on the Anti-Graft Act and the best performing anti-corruption initiatives of public institutions of various levels were presented, while panelists representing different generations and occupational groups freely expressed their opinions.

The list of guest panelists included a Chairperson of the ACRC Pak Un Jong, Deputy Director of the Busan Metropolitan Education Office Han Dong Inn, Dr. Choi Byung Chul (accountant), YTN reporter Choo Un Ho, primary school teacher and rapper, Lee Hyun Ji (Dal-ji), and head of the Seongnam branch of the National Association of Parents for True Education Do Seung Sook.

The guest panelists shared their views of the Anti-Graft Act, including how it has changed people’s day-to-day lives, customary practices and culture, expectations for transparent society and ways to promote the Anti-Graft Act among the public, in a comfortable and informal atmosphere.

The Chairperson of the ACRC Pak Un Jong, who has been spearheading the safe landing of the Anti-Graft Act, expressed her thoughts and future resolutions, while the Deputy Director Han Dong Inn talked from an angle of a public official about the efforts made by public institutions to stave off improper solicitations and changes in practices in officialdom.

The YTN reporter Chu Un Ho spoke about what has been changed in terms of a dining culture, etc. and what still needs to be improved based on his own experiences of reporting on varied public institutions. The Accountant Choi Byung Chul shared how he became interested in the correlation between the Anti-Graft Act and entertainment expenses of companies and the implications thereof, while the teacher Lee Hyun Ji (Dal-ji) and the head Do Seung Sook each conveyed their opinions regarding the Anti-Graft Act based on their actual experiences in school.

Along with this talk concert, the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology and the Korea Infrastructure Safety Corporation delivered presentations on anti-corruption initiatives aimed at preventing the violation of the Anti-Graft Act.

In addition, an atmosphere of ‘integrity felt through fun and joy’ was far more strengthened by a variety of shows to watch, including Pansori, the epic Korean traditional chant titled ‘Byeoljubujeon (Korean folk tale of soft-shelled turtle)’ dramatized under the theme of integrity and the rap performance by the elementary school teacher Lee Hyun Ji (Dal-ji), who is on the panel.

Anyone who was interested could participate in this event, and communication by means of real-time comment sharing will be live-streamed via ACRC YouTube (Kwon-ik vision, which means ‘vision for civil rights and interests’).

Director General of the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the ACRC Lim Yoon Ju said, “this event was a good opportunity for us to assess to what extent the Anti-Graft Act has taken root as the standard of practice in people’s everyday life, including public officials, for three years after the enforcement of the Act and to think about the way we should lead our society to make it more transparent and clean in the years ahead.”