ACRC Discussed Ways to Provide Same Level of Protection and Compensation to Reporters Regardless of Report Type

- On the 27th, the ACRC held a discussion to discuss unification of reporter protection and compensation systems in its five Acts -

(April 4, 2022, ACRC)

Chairperson discussing ways to provide same level of protection and compensation to reporters regardless of report type

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission(ACRC) and Office of National Assemblyman Kim Byung-wook (the Democratic Party of Korea) held a discussion on the 27th at the National Assembly Hall to talk about ways to unify the provisions on public interest reporter protection and compensation in five anti-corruption Acts*

* The five anti-corruption Acts are the Act on the Prevention of Corruption and the Establishment and Management of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, the Protection of Public Interest Reporters Act, the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, the Act on Prohibition of False Claims for Public Funds and Recovery of Illicit Profits, Act on the Prevention of Conflict of Interest Related to Duties of Public Servants (enforced on May 19)

The ACRC receives reports of violation of the five Acts, takes measures to protect reporters from various disadvantages, and pays them monetary rewards and awards.

Depending on which law is violated, however, the level of protection and monetary rewards and awards for reporters are different, because each of the five Acts stipulates its reporter protection and compensation.

For example, the Act on the Prevention of Corruption and the Establishment and Management of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission provides for a provision on the System of Temporary Suspension of Disadvantageous Measure, which temporarily suspends disadvantageous measures against reporters. The other four Acts, however, do not have such provision, so reports on the violation of the four Acts are not subject to the system.

In addition, the Act on Prohibition of False Claims for Public Funds and Recovery of Illicit Profits does not provide for non-compliance charges on a person who did not comply with measures for reinstatement of dismissal of disciplinary measures. Moreover, the rate of payment for monetary rewards is stipulated differently in each of the five Acts.

So, the ACRC held the discussion to resolve this problem and talked about ways to unify the provisions related to reporter protection and compensation.

If the unification is made, reporters could receive the same level of protection and compensation, regardless of the type of the report they file.

The discussion was attended by Kim Hyung-jin, a researcher of National Assembly Research Service, Lee Jae-il, the head of Public Interest Report Center of Heung Sa Dan Transaprency Movement, Lee Cheon-Hyeon, a senior researcher of Korea Institute of Criminology and Justice, Seo Bo-guk, a professor of law Chung Nam National University Law School.

The discussion was live-streamed on the official Youtube channel of the ACRC, Gwonik-vision, so anyone was able to watch and participate in the discussion online.

An ACRC Official said, “This discussion is aimed to seek ways to re-design the reporter protection and compensation system from the perspective of citizens. I hope that we have a meaningful discussion today.

An ACRC Official added, “Based on what we discuss today, the ACRC will unify the reporter protection and compensation systems stipulated in each of the five Acts into one Act and will develop it into a system can be trusted by citizens.”