ACRC Distributed Operational Guideline for
Conflict of Interest Prevention Act
to Help Public Organizations Lay a Foundation for Law Enforcement
Before Effectuation of the Act

- Approx. 14,900 public organizations should establish detailed rules and procedures for receipt and handling of reports, etc. and appoint officers in charge of conflict-of-interest prevention affairs -

(18th Feb. 2022, ACRC)

Approximately 14,900 public organizations subject to the Act on the Prevention of Conflict of Interest Related to Duties of Public Servants (hereinafter the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act) including constitutional institutions, central administrative institutions and local governments should lay a foundation for the enforcement of the Act, including preparing their respective operational guidelines and designating officers in charge of conflict-of-interest prevention prior to the entry into force of the Act on May 19, 2022.

The Operational Guideline for the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act was approved by the Whole Committee of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC, Chairperson Jeon Hyun-Heui) on Feb. 14 and distributed to about 14,900 public organizations.

The guideline contains all matters necessary for the enforcement of the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act that comes into force on May 19.

First of all, the guideline provides various forms needed for public officials meeting their obligation of report under the Act including reporting privately interested persons, ownership/purchase of public duty-related real estate and transactions with duty-related persons and sets out detailed procedures for the receipt and handling of violation reports, etc.

The guideline also provides details necessary for carrying out public officials’ obligations and managing restricted or prohibited acts under the Act, such as designating a delegate and transferring of public officials for fair performance of duty, restricting the employment of, and signing private contracts with, family members of high-ranking officials, etc.

The ACRC has established an online standard reporting system for the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act in order to handle all procedures online, including public officials’ reports, public organizations’ receipt and handling of reports, citizens’ reports on violations of the Act.

The ACRC plans to distribute the operational guideline for the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act (the standard draft) to approximately 14,900 public organizations subject to the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act on Feb. 18. Accordingly, each organization should lay a basis for the implementation of the Act before it comes into force, including drawing up their own operational guideline based on their respective institutional characters and designating conflict-of-interest officials.

In the meantime, the Whole Committee of the ACRC passed the amended Code of Conduct for Public Officials that deleted provisions related to the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act to prevent any possible confusion that may occur due to overlapping provisions when the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act comes into force.

The ACRC has actively delivered face-to-face/untact lectures on the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act to public organizations since the enactment of the Act so that about two million public officials subject to the Act would not have any difficulties in fulfilling 10 duties pursuant to the Act.

In April this year, the ACRC will produce a handbook containing statutory interpretation standard and frequently asked questions, etc. to be distributed to each public organization and hold information sessions differentiated by type of institutions by region. In addition, the ACRC will support public institutions’ self-education through education programs provided by the Anti-Corruption Training Institute.

The Director General of the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the ACRC Han Sam-Seok said, “the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act will be the basis to kick our national integrity level up a notch by establishing a system to prohibit common practice of seeking private gains, prevent and control conflict-of-interest situations in the public sector. We will exert all-out efforts to make all public organizations ready for the implementation of the Act as a subordinate statute has been completed by the guideline.”