Anti-Corruption Commission, Army sign MOU on defense complaint handling

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission and the Army have formalized a cooperative framework to strengthen their capacity to handle defense and military civil complaints.

The two bodies signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation and support for defense and military civil complaint handling at Army Headquarters in Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province, on Friday.

The agreement follows the establishment of the Army Inspector General Training Corps in June and serves as a follow-up measure to further upgrade the practical complaint-response system.

Under the MOU, the two institutions will strengthen their defense complaint-handling capacity through training for newly appointed inspectors in complaint response and investigation techniques, operation of a working-level consultative body, and joint seminars.

They also agreed to maintain confidentiality over each other's operational secrets and military security information obtained through the partnership, and to comply with relevant laws including the Personal Information Protection Act when sharing data.

The MOU is valid for three years from the date of signing and may be renewed annually, provided both parties agree at least two months before expiration.

Han Sam-seok, vice chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, said protecting the rights of service members who dedicate themselves to the nation is a fundamental state responsibility. "Through this agreement, we will do our utmost alongside the Army to ensure that defense and military civil complaints are handled within a fair investigation system," he said.