Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission
We commit to re-organise the ACRC into an agency with a stronger focus on anti-corruption and integrity functions to satisfy the public call for anti-corruption reform and to fully perform anti-corruption control tower of Korea
Completion Status:
Commitment filtering:
This commitment is specific as it aims to reorganise the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission by focusing on integrity policies and the prevention of corruption.
We can measure the reorganisation efforts and achievements of the ACRC and whether they have a stronger focus when it comes to anti-corruption and integrity functions.
South Korea
Evaluation:
The Korean Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) was launched on February 29, 2008 by merging three related government entities: the Ombudsman of Korea, the Korea Independent Commission Against Corruption and the Administrative Appeals Commission.1 To re-organise the ACRC into an agency with a stronger focus on anti-corruption and integrity policies, the ACRC submitted a bill to change its name to the National Integrity Committee to ensure that it oversees anti-corruption and integrity policies, and also to separate the less relevant function of a central administrative appeal committee.2
To make this amendment into law, five discussions between the ruling party, the government and the Blue House (the president’s residence) were held. The bill was chosen and managed as a main bill, and the ACRC repeatedly explained the importance for it to be passed to National Assembly members. Despite such efforts, the bill did not pass congress and was automatically abolished with the expiration of the 20th National Congress, but was submitted again to the 21st National Congress.3
Challenges to effective commitment implementation
The ACRC submitted a bill to the National Assembly, re-organising itself to focus on anti-corruption policy and clarifying its character as a general organisation for anti-corruption and integrity. However, the ACRC has faced legislative trouble since the bill was not passed in congress and was automatically abolished because of the National Assembly’s expiration. The ACRC is making efforts to fulfil the commitment but is being hindered by the National Assembly’s legislation process.
Recommendations
Amend the law on ACRC to strengthen its mandate, so that it can oversee anti-corruption and integrity policies