Informants seeking to prey on anti-graft law

Moon Seoung-ok, head of a "paparazzi hagwon," points out a secret camera hidden in a car key at his institute in Seoul, Wednesday, after a lecture on catching violators of the new anti-graft law. / Korea Times photo by Choi Ha-young

Following is the sixth in a series on the anti-graft law or the Kim Young-ran Act which could possibly change Korean society profoundly. ― ED.

By Choi Ha-young

Korea is famous for private institutes, called hagwon, for all kinds of things that require information or practice. After the anti-graft law was launched Sept. 28, people began flocking to "paparazzi hagwon" to learn the knowhow on how to catch violators.

The law, also called the Kim Young-ran Act, bans public officials, school teachers and journalists from receiving meals valued over 30,000 won ($26.9), gifts over 50,000 won and congratulatory or condolence money over 100,000 won. Informers of such violations can get rewards from the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC), as they do for many other laws, and so more and more people are getting interested in becoming "professional" informers, or so-called "ran-parazzi," looking at luxury restaurants, golf courses, marriage ceremonies and funerals.

About 15 people gathered at one such hagwon located in Seocho, southern Seoul, last Wednesday. Most of them were in their 40s or 50s, struggling to make a living. "My contract at a construction site expired last December, and I need money," said Jang Ki-hong, 61. He got a gardening license last year, but it was hard for him to get a well-paid position. "I saw ads claiming that informers can earn 3 million won a month."

"I used to work as a delivery man, but was fired yesterday," said 64-year-old Jung. "Due to my disability, it's almost impossible for me to get a job."

Moon Seoung-ok, 70, the head of the hagwon which teaches knowhow about detecting offenders of not only the anti-graft law but other rules, emphasized his institute's public value. "Thanks to my students' reports on tax evasion, the government collected an additional 1.65 trillion won last year," he said, adding that his students earned 10.3 trillion won as rewards. "I feel very happy to see poor people making money through this job."

The number of students at the hagwon increased three times after the Kim Young-ran Act took effect, he said. For the act, Moon said the maximum reward is 3 billion won. However, legal experts say it's unlikely a person can make considerable money being an informer, according to the guidelines of the ACRC.

Complex process toward rewards

Regarding how to catch the scene of violation, Moon said, "After memorizing government officials' names, faces, job titles and job descriptions, you have to chase them when they go out for lunch appointments.

"Sitting down next to the target at the restaurant, you can videotape their dialogue. Later, you should figure out who their counterpart is by following that person."

Moon's hagwon also sells secret cameras installed in caps, bags and glasses.

However, simply catching someone eating a 30,000 won meal cannot ensure a reward, according to the ACRE guidelines. Also, it's hard to figure out the relationship between the people at the dining table.

According to the Anti-Corruption Act, receiving rewards through reports is complicated — money is handed out only when it is proven that the information has paid the related government organization financial benefits or prevented potential losses.

Hur Yoon from the law firm Yeyul said it's not easy to prove a potential financial loss from government officials' lunch or dinner appointments. "The official may have borrowed money from their counterpart before. Also, the counterpart may transfer cash to the official later," Hur said. "Unlike catching the scene of traffic rule violations, the whistleblower's role is very important to catch Kim Young-ran Act violators."

Further, to receive rewards, it often requires legal judgments, which may take a few years. Considering the expensive cameras and the students' unstable economic situations, it may make their lives as informers tougher.

Within legal boundaries?

A police officer compared the Kim Young-ran Act to adultery, which was abolished last year. "To punish someone for adultery, there must be evidence," he said. "But it was hard to obtain evidence legally without installing eavesdropping devices or breaking into houses. The courts do not accept evidence collected illegally."

"Unconditional wiretapping violates the Protection of Communications Secrets Act," Hur said. "A secret camera may be legal if the activity is proven to be for the public interest."

Saying he does not teach illegal measures to his students, Moon noted that there was a four-hour "free course" for informer hopefuls. After the 30 minutes of introduction, students were hesitant to sign up for the course but didn't leave the classroom, saying "let me see."

Hur acknowledged the positive influence of informers; making government officials and journalists take more care. "However, if it's really a lucrative business, why does the institute give tips to others, even though the market for the rewards is limited?"he added.