A decade after South Korea's anti-graft law took effect, the number of public officials and others penalized for accepting money or gifts still exceeds 300 a year.
Reports of violations of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, commonly known as the Kim Young-ran Act, totaled 1,280 last year, the lowest on record, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission said on the 28th. Reports peaked at 4,386 in 2018 and declined through 2021. The figure then hovered between 1,300 and 1,400 before hitting the record low last year.
The decline is attributed to a sharp drop in reports involving improper solicitation. Such reports numbered 3,330 in 2018 but fell steadily thereafter, dropping to 286 last year.
Reports involving money and gifts, however, have shown no clear downward trend. They totaled 967 from late September 2016 through 2017, then fluctuated before falling to 491 in 2021. The figure jumped to 967 in 2022 and stood at 961 last year.
The number of people penalized over money and gifts has also remained above 300 every year since 2018, when it was 317. The total reached a record 430 in 2024 and came to 324 last year.
