Park sanctions controversial antigraft bill

Published : Mar 26, 2015 - 22:08 Updated : Mar 26, 2015 - 22:35

President Park Geun-hye on Thursday sanctioned an anti-corruption bill that won parliamentary approval early this month despite controversy over its possible violation of an individual's constitutional rights, her office said.

The so-called Kim Young-ran Law, named after the former Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission chief who proposed the legislation in June 2011, subjects public officials, journalists and private school faculty to a maximum penalty of three years in prison or five times the amount accepted in money or valuables if they accept money or valuables worth more than 1 million won (US$900) from one person in one installment, regardless of whether it was in exchange for favors or related to their work.

For gifts that are work-related and worth 1 million won or less, the penalty is a fine of up to five times the gift's value.

Among other things, the controversy centered on a clause that requires public officials' spouses to report acceptances of bribes.

Critics had argued that would infringe on the constitutionally-guaranteed freedom of conscience and destroy family relationships.

Under a bipartisan agreement, the law will apply only to public officials and their spouses, not their other family members. The official, not the spouse, would be subject to the relevant punishment.

Following Park's approval, the law will be announced to the public on Friday and go into force on Sept. 28, 2016.

The bill was drawn up to tighten loopholes in existing anti-corruption rules under which public officials cannot be punished for accepting expensive gifts and services unless there is evidence of reciprocity.

(Yonhap)