Whistle Blowing Risk

[Anchor Lead]

All significant historic events in Korea, such as the president's impeachment in 2017, were possible thanks to whistleblowing. It has been seven years since the law to protect so-called "whistleblowers" was enacted, but many of them continue to face challenges.

[Pkg]

A tablet PC belonging to former President Park Geun-hye's confidante Choi Soon-sil served as crucial evidence in revealing the massive corruption scandal involving the two women. When a former staffer of K-Sports Foundation, Park Heon-young, learned about its existence, he made the biggest decision of his life.

[Soundbite] Park Heon-young(Former Staffer at K-Sports Foundation) : "When I learned about the tablet PC, I knew that staying quiet about it would be wrong."

Park Heon-young provided crucial testimonies during the investigation into acts committed by Park Geun-hye and Choi Soon-sil.

[Soundbite] (Parliamentary Hearing on Choi Soon-sil Scandal(Dec. 2016)) : "She ordered us right away to wire the money to Germany."

[Soundbite] (Constitutional Court Hearing(Feb. 2017)) : "Documents on the president's overseas trips are classified as highly confidential, but she had access to them."

Although the public lauded Park for his courageous decision, the foundation he worked for did not. He eventually quit his job at the foundation in July of last year.

[Soundbite] Park Heon-young(Former Staffer at K-Sports Foundation) : "I just ended up resigning. I used to work as a skiing instructor, so I did that during the winter season."

He now works for a civic group supporting so-called "public interest whistleblowers." Another person, Lee Jong-heon, reported to authorities in 2014 that the pesticide company he was working for concealed a work accident. He was also recognized as a public interest whistleblower, but that was not enough to stop his company's retaliation against him.

[Soundbite] Lee Jong-heon(Whistleblower from Pesticide Company) : "Although I hold a managerial post, they make me do weeding and don't let me use the bathroom."

Lee Jong-heon wants to quit his job, but hasn't been able to find a viable alternative.

[Soundbite] Lee Jong-heon(Whistleblower from Pesticide Company) : "I'm too old to find a new job. If I let them push me out just because I did something justified, nobody else will dare to disclose wrongdoing."