Seoul’s anti-corruption watchdog will host a conference Thursday to discuss corruption and inform chiefs from foreign corporations of the state’s efforts to handle the issue.

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission will invite some 50 CEOs and representatives of multinational corporations, foreign chambers of commerce and embassies, to form an understanding of the problems in the past and its influence on the present.

ACRC Chairwoman Kim Young-ran will give a presentation explaining the situation regarding corruption within the country and go over the government agency’s efforts and major policies for the year.

In a 2010 corruption perceptions index by Transparency International, among the 178 countries in the survey Korea is ranked 39th, while in another index of 16 Asian countries Korea is ranked ninth. Results that the ACRC believe are an inaccurate portrayal of corruption in Korea.

According to Han Sam-suk, director of international relations at the ACRC, the index is a result of past problematic experiences, and lack of grasp of the actual situation and of the government’s efforts.

“Korea is still receiving negatives scores because of incidents three, four years ago,” Han told The Korea Herald.

Patrick Gaines, vice chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, Alan Timblick, head of Seoul Global Center and Josef Meilinger, chief of Siemens Korea, are among the participants expected to attend the event.

By Robert Lee (robert@heraldcorp.com)