Reports last year totaled 1,280, down 5.7% from the previous year

Gift-taking reports climbed from 833 to 961, making up 75% of all cases

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission releases findings Monday from a decade-long review of how public institutions have implemented the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act since it took effect Sept. 28, 2016. [Provided by ACRC]
The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission releases findings Monday from a decade-long review of how public institutions have implemented the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act since it took effect Sept. 28, 2016. [Provided by ACRC]

The Improper Solicitation and Graft Act — commonly known as the Kim Young-ran Act — marked its 10th anniversary Monday. While the total number of violation reports filed last year hit an all-time low, gift-taking reports actually increased from the previous year, raising concerns that the practice persists even as improper solicitation has declined.

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission announced Monday the results of a decade-long review of how public institutions have implemented the law since it took effect Sept. 28, 2016. The review covered approximately 24,000 institutions subject to the law, including constitutional bodies, central government agencies, local governments, public-sector organizations, and schools and school corporations at all levels.

Public institutions received 1,280 violation reports last year, the fewest since the law took effect — a 5.7% drop from 1,357 the previous year. The number of people sanctioned also fell 23.8%, from 446 to 340.

A breakdown by category showed diverging trends. Reports of improper solicitation dropped 33.5%, from 430 to 286, and reports of excessive fees for outside lectures fell sharply from 94 to 33. Gift-taking reports, however, rose 15.4%, from 833 to 961, pushing their share of all reports from 61.4% to 75.1%.

Gift-taking also dominated the sanctions handed down last year. Of the 340 people sanctioned, 324 — or 95.3% — were penalized for gift-taking. Improper solicitation accounted for 14 cases and outside-lecture violations for two.

Among the types of sanctions imposed, criminal penalties increased. Administrative fines fell from 284 to 199 people and disciplinary surcharges dropped from 129 to 89, but criminal penalties rose 57.6%, from 33 to 52. The share of those criminally penalized among all sanctioned individuals more than doubled, climbing from 7.4% to 15.3%.

Over the full 10-year period, public institutions received a cumulative 17,455 reports. Improper solicitation accounted for the largest share at 9,346 cases (53.5%), followed by gift-taking at 7,558 (43.3%) and excessive outside-lecture fees at 551 (3.2%). Reports peaked at 4,386 in 2018, then declined steadily through 2021. From 2022 onward, the numbers fluctuated before hitting last year's record low.

The cumulative number of people sanctioned over the decade stands at 2,983, of whom 2,828 — or 94.8% — were penalized for gift-taking. Improper solicitation accounted for 140 cases (4.7%) and excessive outside-lecture fees for 15 (0.5%). Although improper solicitation generated more reports, the vast majority of actual sanctions stemmed from gift-taking. Annual sanctions have hovered in the 300-to-400 range since 2018, when 334 people were penalized.

The law appears to have taken firm root across most institutions. Some 99.6% of institutions have designated an anti-solicitation officer responsible for in-house education, counseling and case handling. The few that have not are mostly public-sector organizations in the process of dissolution. Meanwhile, 97.8% of institutions conducted at least one training session per year.

However, gaps in case handling were also identified. Seven instances of inadequate follow-up — including failures to issue administrative fine notices — were found among reports received last year. The commission asked the institutions concerned to take corrective action and said it would monitor each case until all deficiencies are resolved.

Public opinion of the law was broadly positive. In a survey of 2,819 people conducted in June through the commission's online platform, 87.1% said the law has had a positive effect. Asked whether job performance in specific sectors has become fairer, respondents cited public administration most often at 75.4%, followed by education at 72.9% and the media at 56.8%.

When asked what most needs improvement going forward, 61.4% of respondents cited stronger detection and punishment of violations — indicating broad public support for the law's goals alongside a demand for stricter enforcement.

The commission said it plans to focus its policy efforts on curbing gift-taking. At its annual regional briefings for anti-solicitation officers, it will highlight specific cases of gift-taking violations and penalties to sharpen awareness among public officials.

"It is encouraging that the number of reports and sanctions has been on a downward trend over the past 10 years and that institutions are operating the system in a stable manner," commission chairperson Jeong Il-yeon said. "We will continue to work to ensure that the original purpose of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act — guaranteeing that public officials carry out their duties fairly — is fully realized."


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