Kim Young-ran Act at 10 Years: How It Changed the Culture of Official Hospitality

As the Kim Young-ran Act (the Improper Solicitation and Graft Prevention Act) marks its 10th year of enforcement, it is credited with having greatly changed the culture of hospitality in the public sector. However, shortcomings that need fixing are still being pointed out, making it worth watching how the system will be refined going forward.

The law's enforcement in 2016 transformed the social landscape. Restaurants and retailers have widely adopted so-called 'Kim Young-ran sets' priced to fit the 50,000-won cap set by the law.

At schools, Teachers' Day gifts and the custom of giving money to teachers have also sharply declined. Lim Kyung-ah, a resident ofGeomdan-gu, Incheon, said, "In the past, there was always something I had to prepare, like for Teachers' Day, which felt burdensome. As a parent, I feel much more at ease now." On the other hand, some lament that it has become harder to express gratitude. Choi Yoo-an and Wi Seo-jun, second-year middle school students, said, "Our teacher gives us snacks every time we have exams, and we feel sorry that we can't repay her even a little."

Despite the assessment that the law has fostered a culture of caution across society, some point out that confusion persists in its application. This is because the standards remain unclear: while exception clauses allow gifts within set limits for social or work-related purposes even when tied to one's duties, in cases with direct interests—such as personnel decisions or audits—such gifts are interpreted as prohibited regardless of amount. Lee Ji-moon, chairman of the Korea Clean Movement, noted, "The rules should make clear that in such cases, involving persons connected to one's duties is in principle not allowed."

Criticism also continues over the so-called 'self-immunity' provisions for elected officials, including lawmakers. Provisions such as the exemption of spouses from punishment for accepting money or goods, and the exclusion of conveying grievance petitions for public interest purposes from the definition of improper solicitation, have remained unchanged for a decade. Shin Bong-ki, honorary president of the Korean Society of Anti-Corruption Law, pointed out, "There are no concrete standards under the current law for what constitutes a public interest petition," adding, "Legislation needs to be tightened through measures such as enforcement decrees."

A recent government survey found that six out of 10 South Koreans cited 'stronger detection and punishment of violations' as a needed improvement.