Zero tolerance for corruption
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By Park Yoon-bae
Deputy managing editor
It has been only a week since the anti-graft law, better known as the Kim Young-ran Act, went into effect; so it is too early to tell whether it is a success or a failure.
The sure thing is that the nation should implement the law smoothly and faithfully in order to achieve its purpose of rooting out rampant corruption in our society.
Still South Korea has a long way to go before ushering in a transparent and clean society. It is too naive to think that the country can eliminate pervasive corruption once and for all. Everyone knows that Koreans cannot bring real change to their society overnight.
That’s why we have to make an all-out effort to ensure strict enforcement of the new law no matter what the costs. The mere existence of the law does not automatically guarantee a new Korea without corruption.
In this regard, we need to create a new culture in which corruption has no place in any sector of our society. For this we have to change our way of thinking and way of life. Politicians and bureaucrats in particular should double their efforts to shake off their corrupt image and regain public trust by refraining from bribery and other irregularities.
Businesspeople are also required to do business through free and fair competition without seeking favor or privilege from bureaucrats and regulators in return for bribes. They can no longer catch up with their global competitors as long as they stick to unfair and illicit business practices.
According to the National Tax Service, 591,684 companies spent a combined total of 9.9 trillion won ($8.9 billion) on entertainment expenses last year. This figure means that those firms spent 27.3 billion won each day on entertaining bureaucrats, regulators, bankers and politicians with wining and dining, gifts, junkets and golf outings.
The astronomical sum is certainly a huge burden for businesses as it weakens the price competitiveness of their products and services. The problem does not stop there. They usually pass on the burden to their customers. Thus, consumers unwittingly fall prey to the corrupt ties among bureaucrats, regulators, bankers and businesspeople.
Such ties were cited as an embedded cause of the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis which forced Korea to go hat in hand to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout fund. Well aware of the problem, the nation waged an anticorruption campaign.
However, the campaign was not enough to eliminate widespread corruption. The sinking of the ferry Sewol in April 2014 showed that corruption has still been deeply entrenched in officialdom and in business practices. The maritime tragedy claimed more than 300 lives, mostly high school students who were on a field trip to Jeju Island.
A recent series of bribery scandals involving senior prosecutors, judges and lawyers has also indicated that the fight against corruption is easier said than done.
Against this backdrop, the Kim Young-ran Act should serve as a strong legal foundation that can lead to a victory over what President Park Geun-hye has described as the “accumulated evils” of Korea right after its worst maritime disaster.
The future of Korea depends on whether we succeed in parting with the old ways and creating a new society which is more transparent and accountable.
What’s most important is to ensure the rule of law. We cannot win a war against corruption without firmly establishing the rule of law. Bribery and other forms of corruption tend to mushroom in a society where: “You are not guilty if you are rich, while you are guilty if you are poor.”
So it is imperative to reform the unjust justice system to guarantee that all men are equal before the law. Police, prosecutors and judges should strive to maintain equality, fairness and transparency.
Besides, the government needs to institute a more transparent personnel management system to prevent the bad practice of “parachute appointments” which allows cronies loyal to political bigwigs to take key posts in government agencies and state-run enterprises. This practice is one of the major sources of corruption.
The enforcement of the Kim Young-ran Act is only the beginning of a new anticorruption campaign. It has already faced a backlash from those on the receiving end of bribes and favors.
Livestock farmers, flower growers, and restaurant owners are also suffering from declining sales as the anti-graft law limits the price of meals, gifts and donations for funerals and weddings which civil servants, teachers and journalists can receive from other people and businesses.
Such side effects of the act are inevitable. But this cannot and should not justify an attempt by some opponents to nullify it. In the long-term, every member of our society can benefit from the law which is designed to provide a level playing field for all. The best policy is zero tolerance for corruption.