[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission announced on the 28th that it has taken steps to impose a compulsory enforcement fine on Nanum-ui Jip, a support organization for comfort women victims, for failing to implement protective measures for whistleblowers within the designated period.
The Commission accepted the protection application of whistleblowers from Nanum-ui Jip on the 24th of last month.
The whistleblowers filed complaints with the National Sinmungo and other agencies in May, alleging that the management of Nanum-ui Jip did not use the substantial donations for the comfort women victims but instead accumulated them in cash and real estate, intending to use them for elderly care projects.
Subsequently, the whistleblowers claimed that Nanum-ui Jip took retaliatory measures such as deleting their work permissions in the social welfare corporation system and demanding the return of lunch expenses.
In response, the Commission accepted the whistleblowers' protection application and decided on protective measures requiring the restoration of system work permissions, cancellation of workplace changes, removal of access restrictions to residents, and cancellation of demands for lunch expense payments.
However, Nanum-ui Jip did not comply with the cancellation of the lunch expense demand by the 24th, 30 days after being notified of the protective measures decision. Instead, it filed an appeal lawsuit.
The Commission judged that Nanum-ui Jip neglected the protection of whistleblowers.
The Commission plans to continue imposing compulsory enforcement fines twice a year until the protective measures for whistleblowers are implemented and will keep monitoring the internal situation of Nanum-ui Jip.
According to the Commission, Nanum-ui Jip is subject to a compulsory enforcement fine of up to 20 million won under Article 21-2 of the Act on the Protection of Public Interest Whistleblowers and Article 17-3 of its Enforcement Decree.
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