Corruption in South Korea

"Korean disease" redirects here. For information about disease control in South Korea, see health care in South Korea.

Corruption in South Korea is moderate compared to most countries in the Asia–Pacific and the broader international community. Transparency International's 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index scored South Korea at 64 on a scale from 0 ("highly corrupt") to 100 ("very clean"). When ranked by score, South Korea ranked 30th among the 180 countries in the Index, where the country ranked first is perceived to have the most honest public sector.^[1] For comparison with regional scores, the best score among the countries of the Asia Pacific region^{[Note 1]} was 84, the average score was 44 and the worst score was 16.^[2] For comparison with worldwide scores, the average score was 43, the best score was 90 (ranked 1), and the worst score was 8 (ranked 180).^[3]

Notable cases

Former South Korean president Park Geun-hye was sentenced to 25 years in prison due to corruption scandals.

Former South Korean president Park Geun-hye was found guilty of 16 charges, including abuse of power and bribery, and was then imprisoned for 25 years.^[4] Another former president Lee Myung-bak was also charged with corruption scandals involving major companies in 2018 and was sentenced to 17 years in jail.^[5]

As a result of such scandals, coupled with other incidents, such as the Sewol ferry disaster, a 2015 report released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) showed that "almost 70 percent of South Koreans distrust their government, while less than 30 percent of them are confident in the nation's judicial system." This rate is significantly lower than the OECD average, which was 41.8 percent. Despite South Korea's low public confidence rate in 2015, it was at least a step up from the rate in 2007 by 10 percentage points.^[6]

The South Korean government has taken steps to fight corruption, such as the Act on the Protection of Public Interest Whistle-Blowers which protects whistleblowers who report public and private corruption as well as foreign bribery. Public services have also been digitalised to avoid opportunities for corruption.^[7] However, large chaebols pose significant difficulties as illicit business behaviour is still common among them. Some of the large conglomerates have been involved in tax evasion and corruption, and their powerful role in South Korea's economy has made corruption investigations very difficult.^[8]

In April 2025, former South Korean President Moon Jae-in was indicted on corruption charges by the Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office.^[9] The charges relate to the alleged facilitation of his son-in-law’s employment at Thai Eastar Jet, a low-cost airline reportedly controlled by a former lawmaker from Moon's political party.^[10]

Notable incidents

• 2016 South Korean political scandal
• BBK stock price manipulation incident
• Daewoo dissolution and corruption scandal
• Grand National Party Convention bribery incident
• Gwangju Inhwa School
• Improper Solicitation and Graft Act
• Jeon-gwan ye-u
• MOFAT Diamond scandal
• South Korean illegal surveillance incident
• South Korean nuclear scandal

Notes

1. Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, North Korea, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vanuatu, and Vietnam