Meal expense cap for public officials raised to 50,000 won

A sign at a restaurant in Seoul displays the price of its "Young-ran menu" at 30,000 won on July 22. (Yonhap)

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission officially announced on Monday an increase in the meal expense limit for public officials from 30,000 won ($22) to 50,000 won, citing the need to account for inflation since the limit was set in 2016.

The commission’s chairperson, Ryu Chul-whan, stated that the new cap is to take effect on Aug. 27 following the approval of a revised enforcement ordinance during a Cabinet meeting on Monday.

This change comes eight years after the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, also known as the "Kim Young-ran Law," was implemented in 2016.

The antigraft act, named after the former Supreme Court justice who was then head of the commission, was established to curb corruption among public officials and other specific groups, including journalists and educators. Under the act, expense limits are set at 30,000 won for meals, 100,000 won for floral tributes and 50,000 won for gifts, with agricultural, meat and marine product gifts capped at 150,000 won.

Last month, the ACRC announced the decision to raise the meal expense ceiling from 30,000 won to 50,000 won amid growing calls from small business and restaurant owners. This decision aims to better reflect the current reality and boost domestic consumption.

Now that the proposal has passed the Cabinet meeting for final approval and revision of the act’s enforcement ordinance, the new cap will officially take effect on Aug. 27.

In addition to meal expense adjustments, the ACRC confirmed that the limits for gifts of agricultural, livestock and fisheries products remain unchanged during nonholiday periods at 150,000 won. However, during major holidays such as Chuseok, the cap is to double to 300,000 won. This year, the Chuseok allowance will be effective from Aug. 24 to Sept. 22.

The ACRC plans to extensively publicize these changes to public officials to prevent potential violations. Efforts will include using diverse media platforms such as television, radio, newspapers, YouTube and social media.

"The Improper Solicitation and Graft Act has been pivotal in promoting transparency and integrity across various sectors of society. The ACRC is committed to ensuring the ongoing effectiveness of this important anti-corruption framework," Ryu said.