Corruption of high-ranking public officials will be resolved by the ACRC and the Corruption Investigation Office For High-ranking Officials together

- The ACRC will join hands with the Corruption Investigation Office For High-ranking Officials for realization of a transparent society -

December 14, 2020

Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission

The Republic of Korea

Legal ground has been established for the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission and the Corruption Investigation Office For High-ranking Officials to make joint efforts for realization of a transparent society.

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (Chairperson Jeon Hyun-Heui, hereinafter “ACRC”) has included the Corruption Investigation Office For High-ranking Officials in the list of public institutions that are obliged to endeavor for prevention of corruption.

For addition of the Corruption Investigation Office For High-ranking Officials in the list of public organizations for which the ACRC can file accusations of corruption charges of high-ranking officials including ministers and vice-ministers, judges, and public prosecutors, the ▴ Act on the Prevention of Corruption and the Establishment and Management of Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission has been revised. For addition of the Corruption Investigation Office For High-ranking Officials in the list of public organizations that must comply with duties regarding prohibition of improper solicitation and grafts and carry out tasks for prevention of fraudulent claim of government subsidies, the ▴ Improper Solicitation and Graft Act and the ▴ Act on Prohibition of False Claims for Public Funds and Recovery of Illicit Profits were amended, respectively.

Anyone who has come to know of high-ranking public officials’ ▴ act of abusing their position or authority in relation to their public duties, ▴ act of pursuing their own or a third party’s interest in violation of law, or ▴ an act of incurring property damage to a public institution, etc. can report with attachment of evidence through channels such as “Integrity Portal_Corruption Whistleblowing”(www.clean.go.kr) operated by the ACRC.

The ACRC inspects factual grounds regarding reports about corruption of high-ranking officials and then refers them to investigative agencies including the Corruption Investigation Office For High-ranking Officials if audit/investigation or police probe is necessary.

Notably, as the ACRC bears the responsibility to report to an investigative agency such as the Corruption Investigation Office For High-ranking Officials in case where a person suspected of an act of corruption is a high-ranking public official such as ministers or vice-ministers of central government departments, judges, and public prosecutors and the detail of the suspected corrupt act requires investigation or prosecution for criminal punishment, a response team of investigators with ample experiences of investigation will be formed in the ACRC.

The ACRC will actively cooperate with the Corruption Investigation Office For High-ranking Officials so that the revised laws can be enforced effectively for prevention of corruption of high-ranking officials.

First, procedures for handling of reported cases of high-ranking officials’ corruption will be established in consultation with the Corruption Investigation Office For High-ranking Officials and the week of reporting of high-ranking officials’ corruption will be launched.

In addition, active support will be provided for operation of the office’s own system of code of conduct and prohibition of improper solicitation, as well as for provision of anti-corruption education.

A collaboration system will be introduced for the Corruption Investigation Office For High-ranking Officials to notify the ACRC in case a need for institutional improvement is found out in the process of investigating a high-ranking official’s crime, to ensure improvement of unreasonable laws and systems.

ACRC Chairperson Jeon Hyun-Heui said, “I hope recent revisions of the laws will greatly help enhancing integrity of the public sector. The ACRC and the Corruption Investigation Office For High-ranking Officials will actively cooperate for prevention and eradication of corruption of high-ranking officials.”