Korean anti-graft law targets officials, teachers and media
SEOUL: A tough new anti-graft law came into force in South Korea Wednesday with many hailing it as a milestone to help root out
targets teachers bribed by parents to give better grades, journalists paid to give favorable public businessmen to speed up bureau
have been under criticism for years for removing or dismissing stories that are damaging to
Dubbed the Kim Young-Ran law after the former supreme court judge who drafted it, the sweeping legislation covers some four million public servants and employees of education institutions
They are now banned from ac won or more, with offenders facing
The law even prohibits the common practice among doctors and other workers at university hospitals of offering favorable treatment to personal acquaintances, including expedited
loopholes of the existing anti-corruption law, as it was hard to prove that money or gifts changed hands in return for a favour instead of as
“The new law is quite different wider range of wrongful activities and contains much more severe punishment against offenders,” National Assembly Speaker Chung
“It will help bring a stop to old - venient but good medicine tastes
Presidential spokesman Jung Youn-Kuk also said the law would be “a turning point to create a fair,
for Administrative Watch at the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, said last week it would make many people “think twice whenever they have the chance to wine and dine or
She noted that whistle blowers million won, which may help curb
The law however drew complaints from local businesses and restaurants that feared sales would - troduced “Kim Young-Ran menus”
A mobile app was even launched recently to help people look up whether they are a target of the law as well as the details
South Korea -- the world’s 11th biggest economy and the Asia’s fourth largest -- has fared relatively poorly in corruption or
World Corruption Perceptions Index and 123rd in transparency in public policy making in the Global Competitiveness Report by