Personnel Risk:
Low
Score:
79/100
Leadership Behaviour
Q34
50/100
Do the Defence Ministry, Defence Minister, Chiefs of Defence, and Single Service Chiefs publicly commit, through, for example, speeches, media interviews, or political mandates, to anti-corruption and integrity measures?
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While there is an internal willingness to tackle corruption and build integrity declared by the Defence Minister, it is difficult to say that internal…
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As mentioned in Q34A, commitments to anti-corruption measures have been publicly made by the Defence Minister. This is aligned with policy priorities that current…
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There is evidence of statements on tackling corruption in the defence sector made by senior ministry staff and senior armed forces officers. In October…
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Q35
100/100
Are there effective measures in place for personnel found to have taken part in forms of bribery and corruption, and is there evidence that these measures are being carried out?
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South Korean laws, including the Criminal Act and the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act (the ISG Act), clearly define bribery and corruption offences. These…
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The Military Court and Military Prosecutor’ Offices are responsible for prosecuting and ruling on bribery and corruption charges against defence personnel and soldiers. The…
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Q36
58/100
Is whistleblowing encouraged by the government, and are whistle-blowers in military and defence ministries afforded adequate protection from reprisal for reporting evidence of corruption, in both law and practice?
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Whistleblowing is legally protected in South Korea. There are two different legislations supporting whistle-blowers who contribute to the public interest. Articles 12 and 14…
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Although whistleblowing is encouraged by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) with clear guidance, internal campaigns are not consistent. The Clean Portal, a…
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The effectiveness of legislation protecting whistle-blowers is highly questionable. During an interview, a defence academic said that those who report corruption issues are likely…
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Q37
50/100
Is special attention paid to the selection, time in post, and oversight of personnel in sensitive positions, including officials and personnel in defence procurement, contracting, financial management, and commercial management?
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The Military Personnel Management Act includes the selection process for important positions, including Vice Chief of staff and commanders of specific units. [1] Personnel…
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Military personnel and those in defence procurement are recruited following standard processes and technical competencies under the terms of the Military Personnel Management Act…
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The Office of Personnel and Welfare within the Ministry of National Defence is responsible for establishing the military and civilian personnel management policy, as…
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Payroll, Promotions, Appointments, Rewards
Q38
67/100
Is the number of civilian and military personnel accurately known and publicly available?
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The Ministry of National Defence (MND) publishes the total number of troops, disaggregated by Army, Navy and Air Force through the Defence White Paper,…
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The information regarding the number of troops is publicly available on the Ministry of National Defence’s website. [1] [2] As mentioned above, the exact…
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There is no evidence of ghost soldiers in the South Korean military system. As South Korean military personnel is managed by the Military personnel…
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Q39
100/100
Are pay rates and allowances for civilian and military personnel openly published?
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The Ministry of National Defence publishes the latest pay rates and allowances for all military personnel and civilians who work in the defence industry.…
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The Public Officials Remuneration Regulations and the Military Personnel Remuneration Act contain calculation methods for pay rates and allowances in the public sector including…
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Q40
100/100
Do personnel receive the correct pay on time, and is the system of payment well-established, routine, and published?
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South Korean personnel in the defence sector receive pay on time based on the Military Personnel Remuneration Act and Public Officials Remuneration Regulations. [1]…
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The system of payment is well-established and published. The Ministry of National Defence publishes the Defence Statistic Annual Report and the Defence White Paper…
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The payment and allowance systems are openly published. The 2018 Defence Statistic Annual Report of the Ministry of Defence includes the details of personnel…
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Q41
67/100
Is there an established, independent, transparent, and objective appointment system for the selection of military personnel at middle and top management level?
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Article 9 of the Military Personnel Management Act states that appointment of officers, warrant officers, and non-commissioned officers shall be based on academic achievement…
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The Chairperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest rank within the military, is appointed by the President and is subject to personnel…
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Information on appointments of military personnel at middle and top management level is published by the Ministry of National Defence via the ministry’s website…
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Q42
69/100
Are personnel promoted through an objective, meritocratic process? Such a process would include promotion boards outside of the command chain, strong formal appraisal processes, and independent oversight.
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Although military personnel appointments are regulated by the Military Personnel Act, it is questionable whether the promotion process is fair and objective. [1] Article…
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Article 30.2 of the Military Personnel Act states that “a person who has contributed to the State significantly in combat, during wartime or crisis,…
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As mentioned above (see Q41C), information on promotions of military personnel at middle and top management level is published by the Ministry of National…
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Information on promotions of military personnel at middle and top management level is published by the Ministry of National Defence via the ministry’s website…
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Conscription and Recruitment
Q43
100/100
Where compulsory conscription occurs, is there a policy of not accepting bribes for avoiding conscription? Are there appropriate procedures in place to deal with such bribery, and are they applied?
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Compulsory conscription exists for all male citizens in South Korea under the terms of Constitution and the Military Service Act. [1] [2] The Improper…
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South Korean law imposes strict sanctions on an officer who receives bribes, under the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act. Officials found guilty of wrong-doing…
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Since compulsory conscription is stated in the Constitution and all male citizens are subject to military service, South Korean citizens are likely to consider…
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Q44
83/100
is there a policy of refusing bribes to gain preferred postings? Are there appropriate procedures in place to deal with such bribery, and are they applied?
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Article 5 of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act prohibits improper solicitations regarding a preferred job posting. Solicitation to intervene or influence the appointment,…
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Officials found guilty of wrong-doing can be punished with a prison sentence of up to 3 years or a fine of up to 30…
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Despite the existence of strong interventions, it is questionable whether the sanctions are applied consistently in practice. Monitoring all officials’ actions and bribery practices…
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Salary Chain
Chains of command and payment are separate throughout the South Korean military. The salaries of the Army, Navy and Air Force are calculated by…
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Values and Standards
Q46
88/100
Is there a Code of Conduct for all military personnel that includes, but is not limited to, guidance with respect to bribery, gifts and hospitality, conflicts of interest, and post-separation activities? Is there evidence that breaches of the Code of Conduct are effectively addressed?
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While the Improper Solicitation and Graft (ISG) Act provides overall anti-corruption guidelines for all officers including military personnel, the Ministry of National Defence (MND)…
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Two Codes mentioned above are available to the public via the website run by the Ministry of Government Legislation and distributed to all military…
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While the strict Code of Conduct exists to tackle corruption within the defence sector, it is difficult to find evidence of effective investigations. A…
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The Ministry of National Defence and relevant institutions are expected to implement a training session, which addresses the Code in detail, at least once…
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Q47
94/100
Is there a Code of Conduct for all civilian personnel that includes, but is not limited to, guidance with respect to bribery, gifts and hospitality, conflicts of interest, and post-separation activities? Is there evidence that breaches of the Code of Conduct are effectively addressed?
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Civilian personnel are also subject to the Code of Conduct for personnel at the Ministry of National Defence (MND), according to Article 1 of…
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Guidance on the cCde of Conduct is included in induction training for all civilian personnel. [1]
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Breaches of the Code of Conduct are regularly investigated based on the Code of Conduct for Personnel at the Ministry of National Defence. [1]…
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The MD and relevant institutions are expected to implement a training session, which addresses the Code in detail, at least once a year for…
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Q48
83/100
Does regular anti-corruption training take place for military and civilian personnel?
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A review of the content of Ministry of National Defence (MND)’s online anti-corruption training designed for military and civilian personnel shows that it focuses…
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The Code of Conduct for Personnel at the Ministry of National Defence requires all military and civilian personnel, upon becoming high-ranking personnel, to take…
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All military and civilian personnel, upon becoming high-ranking personnel, must undergo anti-corruption training under the terms of the Code of Conduct for Personnel at…
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Q49
42/100
Is there a policy to make public outcomes of the prosecution of defence services personnel for corrupt activities, and is there evidence of effective prosecutions in recent years?
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Prosecution outcomes are not made public in South Korea. [1] Although there is legislation that requires disclosure of all information, including public officers’ prosecution…
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As stated above, there is no comprehensive policy that requires defence institutions to disclose prosecution outcomes. Instead, the media actively reports criminal cases regarding…
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Once corrupt activities of defence personnel are detected, all the cases are forwarded to prosecution institutions and are prosecuted through formal processes under the…
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Q50
88/100
Are there effective measures in place to discourage facilitation payments (which are illegal in almost all countries)?
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The Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, which came into effect in 2016, makes facilitation payments illegal. The law imposes restrictions on all types of…
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There is not enough evidence to score this indicator. Prosecutions for facilitation payments are not made public under the legislation. After reviewing media sources…
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After the enforcement of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, people seem to have been discouraged from engaging in potential corrupt acts. A senior…
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