[EAI Roundtable] Korea's Role in Spreading Anti-Corruption Values

YouTube Link: https://youtube.com/watch?v=pfeVr1TMGno

1. The Fight Against Corruption: No Longer an Option

Park Jeong-gu, Senior Secretary of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC), emphasizes that corruption undermines public trust in government and hinders the efficient functioning of social systems. He further points out that given democracy operates on trust, international cooperation and information sharing for anti-corruption efforts are no longer a matter of choice. Yu Han-beom, Co-Representative of Transparency International Korea, and Jeon Jin-young, Head of the Political and Legislative Affairs Team at the National Assembly Research Service, assess that Korea's continuous efforts to spread anti-corruption values have led to improvements in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI). However, they argue that limitations persist, as progress on enacting a lobbying law, proposed as an effective anti-corruption measure, remains stalled.

2. Korea Must Play a Greater Role in Spreading Anti-Corruption Efforts

Yu Han-beom, Co-Representative of Transparency International Korea, Lee Sook-jong, Senior Fellow at EAI, and Cho Won-bin, Professor at Sungkyunkwan University, discuss Korea's evolving standing in preventing the spread of corruption internationally. They urge support for various civil society groups engaged in anti-corruption efforts, noting that Korea's improved corruption index scores reflect a substantial reduction in actual corruption. Meanwhile, Park Jeong-gu, Senior Secretary of the ACRC, highlights the challenges in nurturing public experts in anti-corruption and forming international cooperation networks due to the rotational assignment system for Korean public officials.

Video Script

Corruption is a factor that collapses social systems, erodes the space for liberal democracy, and hinders economic growth. Corruption undermines public trust in government and can exacerbate all global challenges across borders. This is one of the most significant reasons for the need for international cooperation and support against corruption, making international cooperation and assistance for anti-corruption not an option, but a necessity today. I will now discuss the ACRC's participation in anti-corruption conferences, including those with international organizations. Overall, the ACRC participates in various international anti-corruption forums such as the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group, the APAFT Transparency Working Group, and the OECD Working Party on Public Governance.

The ACRC operates an annual multinational anti-corruption capacity-building training program for senior public officials and customized anti-corruption policy training programs for specific countries. As part of its technical assistance initiatives, the ACRC collaborates with the UNDP Seoul Policy Centre to share anti-corruption policies and systems with partner countries and engages in anti-corruption exchanges and cooperation through MOUs. I am curious about how definitions of justice are agreed upon and whether they align with our sense of justice and fairness, particularly in comparing authoritarian states with those that are at least nominally democratic, such as Indonesia and Vietnam. How are programs and policies adapted to specific contexts in these countries?

In terms of quantifiable metrics, the CPI published annually by Transparency International is arguably the most reasonable indicator. From a legislative perspective, various anti-corruption laws and systems have been established and are being implemented, including the Act on the Prevention of Bribery and the Act on the Protection of Public Interest Whistleblowers, as well as the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act and the Act on the Prevention of Conflicts of Interest. Consequently, public perception has also shifted. For instance, regarding the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, over 90% of the public and public officials believe it is significantly influencing Korea's culture of solicitation and gift-giving since its implementation.

When such topics are placed on the agenda for international conferences, are Korean representatives asked for their input, or do they simply state that Korea does not have such a system? While it is difficult to elaborate, as you mentioned, countries like the United States and some European nations, to my knowledge, do have lobbying laws. However, in Korea, the prevailing sentiment is that it is premature. Internally within the ACRC, discussions regarding a lobbying law reportedly took place around the time the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act was implemented, around 2015-2016.

However, discussions were halted at that point due to ongoing considerations, and I am not aware of any further progress.