The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) of South Korea announced on October 17 that it has formed a task force to revisit several past incidents, including allegations surrounding First Lady Kim Geon-hee's acceptance of luxury handbags and the controversial actions of former chairman Ryu Hee-rim. The task force, which will operate for 45 days until April 29, will focus on investigating these allegations, as well as implementing institutional improvements to prevent similar issues from arising in the future. This initiative follows directives from the newly appointed ACRC chairman, Jeong Il-yeon.

Specifically, the task force will look into five major incidents: the allegations against Ryu Hee-rim for allegedly orchestrating complaints to the Broadcasting and Communications Review Board to influence reports about Kim Man-bae and Shin Hak-lim; the luxury handbag incident involving Kim Geon-hee; the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of an ACRC official linked to the resolution of the luxury handbag case; improper interventions in complaints regarding Daewoong Pharmaceutical; and favoritism in personnel decisions within the organization. These investigations come after previous reports submitted by ACRC staff highlighting the inadequacies of earlier investigations.

One of the critical allegations involves Ryu, who reportedly mobilized relatives to file complaints seeking a review of press reports and participated directly in adjudicating these complaints, which resulted in penalties levied against media organizations. Despite initial reports from ACRC staff, the organization had taken over seven months to conclude this case and ultimately sent it back for review to the Broadcasting Review Board, which drew public criticism. The recent developments indicate an acknowledgment of the earlier failures to adequately address these allegations, and the insistence on a more rigorous and transparent investigation process going forward.