The monetary value of false claims on public funds hit a record last year, with 129.6 billion won ($91.4 million) recovered from people and organizations that should never have received the money.
The Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission announced the figure on Friday after reviewing how 311 bodies, including central government agencies, local governments and metropolitan and provincial offices of education, have implemented the clawback system.
The review found 141,781 false claims.
Alongside the recovery orders, the commission imposed 50 billion won in penalty surcharges on the individuals and organizations involved.
The 129.6 billion won in recovery orders and 50 billion won in penalty surcharges mark the highest figures on record for both categories. Recovery orders rose 24 percent from 104.2 billion won a year earlier, and penalty surcharges surged 74 percent from 28.8 billion won.
The cases ranged widely. Some claimants collected agricultural direct payments for land that they had never farmed, and others claimed single-parent family support while concealing a marriage or common-law relationship.
Fuel subsidies went to unqualified vehicles or, in some cases, to businesses that had already closed. Students collected national work-study grants for hours that they had not worked, and employers claimed employment stability subsidies on falsified attendance records and training logs.
Livelihood benefits accounted for the largest share of recovery orders at 29...
The monetary value of false claims on public funds hit a record last year, with 129.6 billion won ($91.4 million) recovered from people and organizations that should never have received the money....