Welcome to BASE21

With the liberalization from Japan, Korea should have cleared up her society from absurd relations of economy to untransparent political power. Those who had illegal relation with Japan and U.S. in Korean society have become a tremendous entity under the power of military dictatorship. Illegal profiteering and politics-business collusion have been the common words that lots of people can hear from T. V.. or newspaper. As Koreans know well about Boutique lobbying scandal and Allegation on the withdrawal of Kyunggi bank, they now acknowledge the Kim Dae-jung government as a immoral one which has little difference with other government in Korean political history. Whenever those cases occur, the government has stated over and over that they would inquire into the true state of things, however, it had concluded in mystery as the time goes by. Moreover, politicians and enterprisers who taken into custody, charging with the bribery case, get into triumphant action without any punishment and reconsideration of their deed.
Of course, despite this reality, there are many activities to carry out the reform of Korean society. Many civic groups have made their efforts to clear away absurdities. But most of these merely have come to an end of reaching limit because they didn't work with tenaciously other groups.
To overcome this limitation, one organization take the initiative to open the new chapter of Korean society. It is the Anti-Corruption Network in Korea(ACNK). This group had launching ceremony at Press Center on 24th of August in Downtown Seoul. There were an seminar memorializing establishment of the ACNK and an inaugural assembly. There gathered over 300-400 participants. The press was also there to report about the ACNK. The ACNK have only about 400 memberships now. But it is cooperating with 400 affiliated groups under 18 civilian organizations.
The ACNK insists that `any law and system cannot make it possible to uproot absurdities by itself so far. When they put into practice with people's participation, Korean society will be reformed'. So, for achieving this goal, many organizations in every sector of Korean society have to unite their efforts to stem out social evils.
The ACNK has its position for rooting out the corruption. It is the positive participation of the citizens like the observation and denunciation on the irregularities and corruption. So the committee of the ACNK will set up `Kukmin-shinmungo system which receives various opinions of the citizens on the nationwide' and `Moving Kukmin-shinmungo system which gets people's opinions by bus'. About 150 kukmin-shinmungoes are to be installed all over the country. Those can hear the denunciation about the corruption in Korea. And these newly invented systems are expected to activate the device for exterminating it structurally from citizens. Fax, mails and computer communications can be used to collect such citizen's opinions. This kukmin-shinmungo doesn't mean the past conception which had made an appeal to the king. It is direct mechanism between top and bottom of class in Korean society. It pursues the purpose which people raise questions and solve them by themselves in the critical mind that people are master of Korea. They will make nationwide trip so as to listen to people's voices and will.
The ACNK will enforce the ombudsman system on public institution, major companies and local governments. The ombudsman system is the same conception with the Kukmin- shinmungo, people can watch them under close guard. The ACNK is to make a plan to offer a objective standard of irregularities by announcing corruption and sensation integrity indices. The standard of corruption index is prepared by the Corruption-Society's assistance.
Furthermore, the committee of the ACNK makes the corruption-person Data Base for the purpose of preventing from activities of those who committed crime. The ACNK will announce officially personnel reshuffle on public institutions, major companies, local governments at regular intervals. Because the ACNK have to inhibit from the people who are lack of ability is securing the position and also prevent person who committed absurdities from acting at the line.
As the ACNK thinks the most fundamental reason of irregularities and corruption in Korean society is the consciousness of `It's just me', it will be implement the anti-corruption related research and practical program for the betterment of the weak.
The civil constitution on the anti-corruption is going to be established, so it can encourage people to express their strong will to get rid of corruption. Anti-corruption will, so it also can incite people's participation from all the segment of Korea. Newspaper publication, computer communication and internet will be used in public activities which are related to anti-corruption. Transparency International, international Anti-corruption movement organization, is to offer their know-how to this ACNK for being efficient in playing their role.
The ACNK is to be an incorporated association for breaking the vicious circle of anti-corruption. The ACNK suggests that through these plans, it is possible to make the principle that all corruptions are going to become known to the world. So the network of the ACNK suggests that people should make potential cost to pay, social pressure much expensive than momentary income absurdities.'

The Argus met Kim Geo-sung the Secretary General of ACNK, and asked what the ACNK will play its role in Korean society.
Reporter : What is the motivation to establish the organization?
Kim Geo-sung : The Corruption Perceptions Index which Transparency International publishes every year shows how serious the state of Korean corruption. According to this index, Korea ranks the 43th among 85 countries. So, I think the corruption of korean society cannot be tolerated any more. It is the time to accomplish the historical task of making korea clean and pure.
R : To where the focus of the movement is to adjusted?
K : The ACNK should make nationwide anti-corruption network. So, we receive various of cases from the specific sector at the local society. Each sector like education, environment, press has specialized organizations, so those sectors would make the united movement jointly with other groups which are connected with this network, and the specialized organizations can also enlist the aid of local groups. And the movement should be based upon the participation of the citizens.
R : It seems that it costs a lot of money in operating the organization. Are there any problems?
K : Of course, the most difficult matter in operating the organization is financial one. In order to operate many plans, a lot of money are needed. We are going to enlist the membership and receive supportive fee from them. We will request the support from the government in the range that the government can't infringe the originality of the activities of the ACNK. If people concern about the movement of the ACNK it is needless to say that the ACNK will be able to grow up.
R : The reporter heard that the ACNK will make the solidarity with international groups. Let me know the detailed activities about those.
K : We will send representatives to International Anti-corruption Conference (IACC) which will be held in Durban South Africa from the October 10. And through interchanging information continuously, the accomplishment on anti-corruption movement in Korean society will be informed to the world.

The 21st century is close at hand. Nevertheless, the corruption on every sector of our society is not uprooted. Now, an anti-corruption drive should not be the movement of only a few people like scholars and learned men but of all the citizens. The interest and the participation of the citizens are the most important key to reform our society. The ACNK has to make the anti-corruption movement nationwide scale by doing campaigns and establishing various policies for clearing away society's absurdities on politics and economy. Then, the ACNK is capable of leading Korean people to being with easy access to the spontaneous participation and criticism against the absurdity and corruption. It is probable that civil, labor and non government organization (NGO) movement can be equal to the political power which has the background of military regime. In this respect, the ACNK must endeavor at making solidarity with those group for achieving its goal. In the course of this the role of the ACNK is of great significance and it should play the role in putting its strong place into leading the civil movement in Korean society. Although, the ACNK doesn't have long history, it doesn't matter if the ACNK makes the conditions which people are able to take part in the activities voluntarily. If it is accomplished, Korean society will be changed.