Anti-graft agency to submit bill on civil servants

Kim Young-ran ACRC chairwoman

The country’s anti-corruption agency announced Thursday that it will seek to introduce a law that would significantly help the country eliminate corruption in the public sector.

Kim Young-ran, the head of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC), said that her agency spent more than a year consulting with related ministries.

Under the bill proposed by the ACRC, government officials caught accepting more than 1 million won ($883) worth of bribes or entertainment could face punishment of up to three years in prison even without evidence of influence peddling.

Disgraced officials would also need to pay back five times the amount they received.

In addition, “lobbyists” and government servants will be hit with fines of up to 30 million won if they are found to have sought illicit favors from public officials, whether or not any money was involved.

Kim, former chief justice of the Supreme Court, said the legislation will help public officials flatly reject any illegal requests, and report unsolicited favors that they are tempted to receive to the head of their respective agency.

“It is now high time for our society to have simple and clear rules to root out old evil habits of cronyism in accordance with common sense,” she said.

An ACRC survey last year showed that some 56.7 percent of 1,400 citizens regard civil servants as corrupt.

She expects some resistance from the Ministry of Justice and the government sectors over the anti-corruption bill but believes the legislation is a must to create a culture where illicit favors are no longer tolerated.

“The rules detail restrictions in more comprehensive terms, and put forth detailed norms of behaviors required for public officials,” Kim said.

“They are aimed at preventing primary factors of irregularities occurring in the first place, instead of focusing only on uncovering and seeking punishment after the facts are revealed.”

The ACRC will notify the public of the proposal over a 40-day period starting Wednesday, before submitting it to the National Assembly. <The Korea Times/Lee Tae-hoon>

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