Every Public Institution Will Enhance the Confidentiality of the Identity of Corruption and Public Interest Whistleblowers

ACRC provides training in the prevention of violations against the duty of confidentiality to public institutions by regions

(March.30^th 2023, ACRC)

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC, Chairperson Jeon Hyun-Heui) provides training in the prevention of violations of the duty of confidentiality of corruption and public interest whistleblowers for central administrative agencies, local governments, and public service-related organizations by regions from March to July for 11 sessions.

Any Korean citizen could file a report with the ACRC, investigation agencies, and supervisory agencies upon the notice of corrupt acts or behaviors violating public interests according to the Act On The Prevention Of Corruption And The Establishment And Management Of The Anti-corruption And Civil Rights Commission (ACRC Act) and the Public Interest Whistleblower Protection Act.

Filing a civil complaint has recently become more convenient through various channels, such as e-People, communication boards of public institutions, and the Safety Report application. Accordingly, there have been some issues where the confidentiality of whistleblowers is not ensured in the reports^* filed as civil complaints at a time of increasing reports on corruption and violation of public interests in the form of civil complaints. Therefore, special attention is required in the course of handling civil complaints in order to prevent the leak of personal information of corruption and public whistleblowers.

* (Case) Reporting with e-People on medical practices without a license

(violation of the Medical Service Act)

ACRC provides training for officials in charge of the audit or civil complaints handling at central government agencies, local governments, and public service-related organizations by regions to ensure the performance of the duty of confidentiality of corruption and public interests whistleblowers in the course of receiving and processing the “reports in the form of civil complaints.”

The targets of the training expanded to include not only officials in charge of handling the corruption and public interests reporting but also persons in charge of audit and civil complaints handling as the reports are filed in the form of civil complaints.

ACRC resumed training of the prevention of violation of the duty of confidentiality by regions after three years of a halt of in-person training due to COVID-19. ACRC selected 6 regions based on demand survey on training and finalized the schedule^* of 11 sessions of training. The latest training was scheduled on March 31 and ACRC visited regions starting from Sejong and Chungcheong region.

* Sejong and Chungcheong (March 31), Seoul and Gyeonggi (April 12 and 17), Gyeongsang (April 20-21), Jeju (May 1-2), Jeolla (May 25-26, July 7), and Gangwon (June 16)

Professional instructors for integrity education and investigators with considerable experience in cases about protecting corruption and public interests whistleblowers from ACRC participated as instructors at the recent training. The training included major cases of the leak of the identity of corruption and public interests whistleblowers in the course of handling corruption and public interests reporting for more practical education, based on which the ways to prevent the leak of personal identity of whistleblowers and response measures against attempts to identify corruption and public interest whistleblowers were shared.

Director General Kim Ki-Sun for the Investigation and Protection Bureau of ACRC said, “The protection of corruption and public interest whistleblowers begins with fully protecting the confidentiality of the identity of reporters. We will ensure complete prevention of leaks of the identity of reporters taking place in the field through the regional training.”