ACRC Chairperson Ryu Chul Whan Elected as IOI Director

- Chairperson Ryu Chul Whan will participate in major discussions over IOI by-laws reform and the assessment of new membership application

- IOI General Assembly and Conference scheduled in May 2024 in the Hague, the Netherlands

(12, Mar. 2024, ACRC)

Ryu Chul Whan, Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC), was elected as an Asia regional director of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) through votes opened from February 12 to 16.

※ Ombudsman refers to mediator, arbitrator, or inspector in Swedish, originating from the establishment of an Ombudsman in 1809 in Sweden, which aimed at overseeing the legal compliance by judges and civil servants of the executive branch.

IOI is an international organization, which was established in 1978 with the aim of developing the Ombudsman system and promoting exchanges and cooperation among ombudsman institutions across the world. 234 institutions across 120 countries have joined the IOI which holds a Board of Directors’ meeting every year and General Assembly every four years.

IOI Board of Directors consists of 24 members, elected from each of six regions. There are four Asia regional directors, including Chairperson Ryu Chul Whan.

Chairperson Ryu will participate in discussions over major agenda items, such as IOI by-laws reform, the assessment of new membership applications, and financial approval, including subsidies, as a director with a four-year term from May 2024 to May 2028.

In particular, in 2024, the IOI World Conference will be held from May 13 to 17 in the Hague, the Netherlands. During the IOI General Assembly and Board of Directors’ meeting, major agenda items will be discussed, and policies and the practices of each ombudsman will be shared.

ACRC Chairperson Ryu Chul Whan said, "Since its establishment, ACRC has actively played its role as IOI director and been recognized as one of the representative ombudsman institutions in Asia and across the world. We will remain committed to protecting the rights and interests of citizens by disseminating the excellence of Korea’s ombudsman system across the globe and developing ombudsman systems through cooperation with other institutions.＂