HUG to pay up to W100m for reporting misconduct

The Korea Housing and Urban Guarantee Corporation (HUG) will pay internal whistleblowers up to 100 million won ($70,700) for reporting misconduct by its employees.

HUG announced Tuesday it has formally launched a whistleblower reward program designed to promote an anti-corruption culture within the organization.

Under the program, a reward is paid when an anonymous report of misconduct by a HUG employee or executive triggers an audit that results in disciplinary action.

Rewards are disbursed through K-Whistle, an anonymous misconduct reporting platform, which handles both notification and payment without any direct contact between the audit office and the recipient — a structure designed to protect the reporter's anonymity.

The reward amount is determined by weighing the tip's contribution to the audit, the audit's outcomes and the severity of the disciplinary action taken, with a maximum payout of 100 million won.

"Through this whistleblower reward program, we expect to strengthen incentives for reporting misconduct, encourage more people to come forward, and ultimately build a culture of integrity by reinforcing internal controls," said Lee Myeong-won, standing audit committee member at HUG.