KOBC Introduces "Safe Lawyer System" to Lower the Barrier to Internal Whistleblowing

Ethics Management Committee Finalizes 2026 Integrity Roadmap
Guaranteed Anonymity and Exclusive Proxy Reporting by External Lawyers

Korea Ocean Business Corporation 2026 1st Ethics Management Committee Meeting. Korea Ocean Business Corporation

Korea Ocean Business Corporation has introduced a "Safe Lawyer System" to encourage internal public-interest reporting and has begun strengthening its integrity management framework. By thoroughly guaranteeing the anonymity of whistleblowers to lower the barrier to internal reporting, and by operating an incentive system that encourages voluntary participation in parallel, the corporation aims to enhance the effectiveness of its ethical management.

On February 9, Korea Ocean Business Corporation announced that it held the "2026 1st Ethics Management Committee" meeting at its headquarters in Haeundae, Busan, and finalized a core roadmap to build an integrity-driven organizational culture that earns the public's trust.

The Ethics Management Committee serves as the top decision-making body for the institution's overall ethics management. It approves ethics management policies, reviews detailed implementation items, and deliberates and advises on related matters. The committee is composed of a total of six members: three internal members, including President Ahn Byung-gil, and three external experts from academia and the legal community, thereby ensuring objectivity and transparency in decision-making.

The ethics management implementation plan confirmed at this meeting includes a total of 12 detailed action tasks centered on three strategic directions: (1) advancing the integrity and ethics management infrastructure, (2) enhancing integrity and reliability, and (3) establishing a participatory culture of integrity.

In particular, starting this year, Korea Ocean Business Corporation will newly introduce the "Safe Lawyer System" to strengthen the protection of whistleblowers' identities. Under this system, an external lawyer commissioned by the institution will exclusively handle the entire process for various types of misconduct, including the receipt of bribes or entertainment, improper solicitations, budget waste, workplace bullying, and sexual misconduct, from initial consultation with informants to filing reports on their behalf and notifying them of the results.

The corporation expects that, once the Safe Lawyer System is implemented, anxiety over the exposure of whistleblowers' identities will be reduced, which will in turn encourage internal public-interest reporting, and that prior review by lawyers will make the content of reports more specific and reliable.

At the same time, to encourage voluntary participation by executives and employees in integrity and anti-corruption activities, the corporation will also fully implement an "Integrity Mileage System." By providing tangible rewards for activities related to ethical management, it intends to strengthen motivation to participate and spread a culture of integrity throughout the organization.

Programs to improve communication culture within the organization will also be carried out in parallel. Korea Ocean Business Corporation plans to accelerate the creation of a horizontal organizational culture through initiatives such as "KOBC Relay Good News," which shares positive cases, and "Random Tea Time," which brings together employees across different ranks and departments.

President Ahn Byung-gil of Korea Ocean Business Corporation said, "Ethical management does not end with a single declaration; it is a process of continuous inspection and practice," adding, "Based on the recommendations of external experts, we will further elevate the level of our ethical management and reinvent ourselves as an institution trusted by the public."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.