Personnel Risk:

Low

Score:

79/100

Leadership Behaviour

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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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Chiefs/Ministers: Internal communications Score: 50 / 100
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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Chiefs/Ministers: Public commitment Score: 75 / 100
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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Unit commanders and leaders Score: 25 / 100
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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Sanctions Score: 100 / 100
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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Enforcement Score: 100 / 100
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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Legal provisions Score: 75 / 100
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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Prioritisation Score: 75 / 100
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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Effectiveness Score: 25 / 100
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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Coverage of sensitive (higher-risk) positions Score: 75 / 100
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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Selection process Score: 25 / 100
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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Oversight Score: 50 / 100
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

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Q38 67/100

Is the number of civilian and military personnel accurately known and publicly available?

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Accuracy Score: 50 / 100
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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Transparency Score: 50 / 100
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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Ghost soldiers Score: 100 / 100
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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Pay rates Score: 100 / 100
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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Allowances Score: 100 / 100
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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Timeliness Score: 100 / 100
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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Accuracy Score: 100 / 100
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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Transparency Score: 100 / 100
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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Formal process Score: 75 / 100
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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Scrutiny Score: 75 / 100
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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Transparency Score: 50 / 100
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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Formal process Score: 25 / 100
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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Exceptions Score: 75 / 100
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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Comprehensiveness Score: 75 / 100
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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Frequency Score: 100 / 100
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

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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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Policy Score: 100 / 100
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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Sanctions Score: 100 / 100
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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Enforcement Score: 100 / 100
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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Policy Score: 100 / 100
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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Sanctions Score: 100 / 100
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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Enforcement Score: 50 / 100
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

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Q45 100/100

Are chains of command separate from chains of payment?

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Score: 100 / 100
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

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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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Code of conduct Score: 100 / 100
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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Transparency Score: 100 / 100
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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Enforcement Score: 50 / 100
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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Training Score: 100 / 100
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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Code of conduct Score: 100 / 100
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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Transparency Score: 100 / 100
Guidance on the cCde of Conduct is included in induction training for all civilian personnel. [1]
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Enforcement Score: 75 / 100
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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Training Score: 100 / 100
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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Comprehensiveness Score: 75 / 100
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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Regularity Score: 100 / 100
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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Coverage of personnel Score: 75 / 100
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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Policy Score: 0 / 100
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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Transparency Score: 50 / 100
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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Effectiveness Score: 75 / 100
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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Legal framework Score: 100 / 100
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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Enforcement Score: NEI / 100
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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Prevalence Score: 75 / 100
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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