Strengthening Rewards for Whistleblowers: 30% of Recovered Amount to Be Paid

Legislative Notice Issued for Amendments to Three Enforcement Decrees Including the Anti-Corruption Act

If a public institution’s revenue is recovered as a result of a corruption or public interest report, the whistleblower will be able to receive 30% of the recovered amount as a reward, with no limit on the amount.

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission announced on July 14 that it will begin the legislative notice process for partial amendments to the enforcement decrees of three laws: the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission Act, the Protection of Public Interest Whistleblowers Act, and the Act on the Recovery of Public Funds. Under the current reward system, the percentage paid as a reward varies between 4% and 30% depending on the amount recovered or the value subject to reward. There have been criticisms that as the amount increases, the reward rate decreases, resulting in insufficient compensation relative to the effort made.

Government Complex Sejong, Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

If the amendment passes, the system will be revised so that a flat 30% is paid regardless of the amount recovered. However, reduction criteria such as the accuracy of the report, reliability of the evidence, and the whistleblower’s contribution will still be applied. The amendment will also resolve fairness issues. Previously, under the Protection of Public Interest Whistleblowers Act, there was no upper limit on the reward amount for public interest reports. In contrast, for reports of corruption or violations under the Act on the Recovery of Public Funds, the maximum reward was limited to 3 billion won. The amendment will abolish the 3 billion won cap that applied to corruption and public fund violation reports.

Lee Myungsoon, Vice Chair of the Anti-Corruption Bureau at the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, said, "This revision of the enforcement decrees is meaningful in that it improves the reward system so that citizens who courageously report for the public interest can receive compensation commensurate with their contribution."

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