A comprehensive audit report by the South Korean presidential office has revealed alarming corruption among non-profit, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) receiving state subsidies. The government conducted audits of over 12,000 NGOs that received state subsidies in the last three years and uncovered 1,865 cases of corruption and irregularities in projects worth more than $840 million (1.1 trillion won). The confirmed misused funds amounted to $24 million (31.4 billion won). Since organizations that received grants of less than $23,000 (30 million won) were excluded from the audit, the number of cases of funding misappropriation will likely increase. 

The government plans to recoup the misused funds and prevent future misconduct in response to these findings. Authorities plan to refer 86 cases with “severe” misconduct levels to judicial authorities for potential criminal charges. Additionally, measures will be implemented to enhance transparency in grant allocations and management, including registering all organizations receiving government subsidies in an online national subsidy management system.