Main Activities
1) Anti-Corruption movements & activities
The following activities include the organization’s general activities that attempt to enhance practices of transparency, increase integrity and promote anti-corruption culture in Korean society:
– yearly publication of the CPI (Corruption Perception Index) and other local and international corruption perception barometers;
– mobilizing youth through various projects;
– actively organizing/participating in street campaigns;
– establishing MOUs (Memorandum of Understanding) with local and public agencies and organizations (e.g. KORAIL, KDFA, local district offices, provincial education offices, etc.);
– collaborating with local citizens’ organizations, CSOs, some governmental agencies, policy-makers, educators, and parents, among other groups and individuals;
– recognizing and supporting individuals or groups that demonstrate integrity and act as anti-corruption whistle-blowers by publicly rewarding them
2) Research and development of anti-corruption policy and legislation
The TI-Korea chapter has carried out research, and completed various surveys and studies, both in the private and public sphere, related to perceptions, policies, laws and legislation. Most recently, in 2013, TI-Korea published the results of a survey, published in both English and Korean (available on this site), on the integrity of Korean youth (and adults) and how they perceive practices of anti-corruption.
In TI-Korea’s efforts to promote integrity and an anti-corruption mindset within both public and private entities, TI-Korea carries out research and conducts surveys to measure staff perception of integrity and corruption. TI-Korea then reports back to the given entity, providing results and recommendations with the aim of helping the given organization or company promote integrity and transparency values in their work place. Most research is carried out by TI-Korea’s MOU cosignatory agencies and organizations.
TI-Korea keeps a close eye on the Korean government’s new policies and changes in laws, especially those related to integrity, transparency and corruption issues. TI-Korea not only actively follows policy developments, but also proposes and recommends proactive policies to the government’s respective agencies. For example, TI-Korea, in coordination with other non-governmental and civil society groups, proposed a number of policies to two presidential candidates in the 2013 election.
3) Introduction and implementation of Citizen’s Ombudsman
By strengthening the South Korean ombudsman system, which accepts complaints from citizen’s across all spheres regarding mal-administration and rights violations, TI-Korea helps promote integrity and transparency. Through TI-Korea’s efforts many Korean government institutions have established ombudsmen offices to address complaints from groups or individuals.
For example,: Korea Workers Compensation & Welfare Office, Korea Transportation Safety Authority, National Police Agency, Korea Basic Science Institute, Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, Seodaemun-gu District Office, Korea Horse Racing Authority, and Seoul Junggu District Office.
4) International networking
From being a local ‘Anti-Corruption Network in Korea (ACNK)’ that turned into a chapter of Transparency International, TI-Korea is now actively working in collaboration with international organizations that seek to enhance transparency worldwide and empower organizations that aim to eradicate corrupt practices in their respective locale.
In particular, TI-Korea is involved in the following networking activities:
-> regular or seasonal communication with other international anti-corruption agencies and organizations;
-> international meetings, workshops, events in Korea;
-> international conferences, meetings, workshops through its representative(s); and
-> events organized by relevant international organizations, the TI-Secretariat and/or by other TI Chapters in the Asia-Pacific region, or other TI chapters around the world.
5. Integrity and Anti-corruption Education
Besides our involvement in the aforementioned activities, TI-Korea is also active in providing integrity, transparency and anti-corruption education on both a local and international level. Such activities include:
-> providing educational materials on integrity and anti-corruption best practice and manuals to MOU agencies/organizations;
-> providing lectures to MOU agencies/organizations, hospitals, schools (elementary, middle school, high school, college students), parents, teachers and educators;
-> sending guest speakers to other TI chapters (especially in the Asia-Pacific region);
-> giving talks to visitors who seek to learn about transparency and Korea’s democratic development (e.g. TI-Thailand, Thai government officials’ visit to Korea, German Embassy, British Embassy, UNCAC Review Group, etc)