Lawmakers favor expanding anti-graft law to include labor unions, civic groups

Lawmakers belonging to the ruling and opposition parties are generally in favor of expanding the anti-graft law to encompass the country's labor unions and civic groups, a poll showed Sunday.

The survey carried out on lawmakers sitting on parliament's National Policy Committee showed 10 supporting the expansion versus five who were opposed with four saying they did not have a view on the matter.

The poll carried out by Yonhap News Agency shows awareness among lawmakers that the law can be revised down the line to make it more comprehensive and better reflect public calls to root out graft.

The Kim Young-ran anti-graft law, named after the former Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission chief aims to tighten loopholes in existing anticorruption rules under which public officials cannot be punished for accepting expensive gifts and services unless there is evidence of reciprocity.

The law passed by the National Assembly in March 2015 and set to go into effect on Sept. 28 subjects public officials, journalists and private school faculty to a maximum penalty of three years in prison or a fine of five times the amount they accept in money or valuables if they exceed 1 million won ($896) in one lump sum or 3 million won in total annually, regardless of whether it is in exchange for favors or related to their work. The rules make it illegal to accept meals exceeding 30,000 won, presents in excess of 50,000 won, and money for congratulations and condolences over 100,000 won.

"Although it may seem excessive by some because of the considerable influence civic groups and labor unions exert on society, it only makes sense that they are covered by the law," a ruling Saenuri Party lawmaker said.

He pointed out that it makes no sense to include journalists and school teachers who are not public servants, while leaving out unionists and civic group members.

The same survey showed lawmakers were on the whole opposed to reducing the coverage of the law.

This past Thursday, the country's Constitutional Court ruled that including journalists and teachers is valid. It also upheld the law's clause that makes it mandatory to report gifts received by spouses.

With the introduction of the law, Seoul aims to shows its commitment to rooting out graft and other illegal activities that hurt public cohesion and the countries' competitiveness on the international stage.

Besides revising the law, lawmakers were for the most part against changing the rules to exclude agricultural and fishery goods from being classified as bribes.

On the other hand some lawmakers called for raising the upper limit of what would constitute a bribe that could allow more leeway and not hurt the local economy.

Local farmers and fishermen have been opposed to the implementation of the Kim Young-ran law because they fear it could hurt demand and their earnings. (Yonhap)