The Cabinet endorsed a bill Tuesday to reward those who help authorities confiscate assets that have been illegally acquired.

The current law stipulates that the authorities may confiscate profits earned by offenders from specific “serious crimes,” such as influence peddling, organized crime and sex trafficking, in order to eradicate economic incentives for such crimes and to prevent the resources from being used for other criminal activities.

Under the revision, the government approved a clause that says those who provide the government with intelligence on such illegal gains or who contribute to confiscating them will be rewarded after the assets are recovered.

Public officials and those obligated to report such illegal activities to the authorities will not be eligible for such compensation, the government said.

The revised law also added more activities to the category of “serious crimes,” including dereliction of duty, involvement with underage prostitutes and distributing pornography, to deprive the offenders of profits earned from such wrongdoings, according to the government.

In Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, the government also endorsed a revision of the welfare law for the elderly that raised the required minimum number of workers at care facilities from the current three to six. Any worker who obstructs an investigation into suspected cases of elder abuse will also now be liable to be fined up to 2 million won ($1,768).
 

(Yonhap News)