The REC deliberates and makes decisions on the following matters: (1) Establishment and operation of regulations related to research ethics and integrity, (2) Designation of departments for receiving and handling reports of misconduct, (3) Commencement of preliminary and formal investigations and approval of investigation outcomes, (4) Matters related to the protection of whistleblowers and measures for restoring the reputation of individuals under investigation, (5) Handling of verification results and follow-up actions, and (6) Any other matters determined by the chairperson.

1) A temporary research ethics committee (hereinafter referred to as the ethics committee) may be operated when necessary to deliberate and decide on matters stipulated in this regulation.
2) A total of seven members of the ethics committee, including the chairperson, are recommended by the editorial committee and appointed by the president of the society. However, the author and the principal researcher of the paper subject to the deliberation agenda cannot become members.
3) The chairperson of the ethics committee is elected from the members. The chairperson chairs the ethics committee. However, the organization and operation of the Ethics Committee must observe confidentiality in principle.

The chairperson represents the REC and presides over its meetings. The vice-chairperson assists the chairperson and assumes their duties in the absence of the chairperson. The committee appoints one secretary to assist with the conduct of meetings and fact-finding investigations.

1) If there is a report about misconduct within or outside the society or from academy member, the editorial committee collects related data and checks the truth of the report.
2) If the report is confirmed to be true, the editorial board chairperson puts this case as an agenda to the ethics committee and submits the deliberation data.
3) The chairperson of the ethics committee gives the relevant researcher an opportunity to clarify the potential misconduct in writing prior to the deliberation.
4) The Ethics Committee must determine whether a research is a misconduct with the attendance of 2/3 (two-thirds) of the members and the consent of more than half of the members present, and report the result to the president of the society.
5) The president of the society notifies the relevant researcher of the decision of the ethics committee and the reason.

Any individual may report misconduct to the Editorial Board or the REC of KSWW through various means, such as verbal communication, written communication, telephone, or email, with the preference for reporting under real names. However, if anonymity is desired, the individual must submit the details and evidence of the misconduct, including the title of the paper, in writing or via email.

Based on the preliminary investigation results, the REC conducts a formal investigation. The formal investigation must commence within 7 days of approval of the preliminary investigation results by the President of the Society. The investigation, including the decision, must be completed within 60 days from the date of initiation, and if it's not feasible to complete the investigation within this period, the President of the Society may be informed with an explanation and a request for an extension. The final report should include the following: (1) Reported content, (2) Allegations of misconduct under investigation and related research projects, (3) Role of the accused in the relevant research paper and determination of the allegations of research misconduct, (4) Relevant evidence and witnesses, (5) Objections or arguments from the informant and the accused regarding the investigation results and the outcome, (6) Other investigation findings.

The preliminary investigation results shall be communicated in writing to the President of the Society and the informant within 5 days of approval by the REC. The report on the preliminary investigation should include: (1) The reported content, (2) Allegations of misconduct under investigation and related research projects, (3) Decision on whether to proceed with a formal investigation and the rationale for the decision, (4) Any other relevant evidence.

Based on the preliminary investigation results, the REC conducts a formal investigation. The formal investigation must commence within 7 days of approval of the preliminary investigation results by the President of the Society. The investigation, including the decision, must be completed within 60 days from the date of initiation, and if it's not feasible to complete the investigation within this period, the President of the Society may be informed with an explanation and a request for an extension. The final report should include the following: (1) Reported content, (2) Allegations of misconduct under investigation and related research projects, (3) Role of the accused in the relevant research paper and determination of the allegations of research misconduct, (4) Relevant evidence and witnesses, (5) Objections or arguments from the informant and the accused regarding the investigation results and the outcome, (6) Other investigation findings.

The REC may require the attendance of informants, the accused, witnesses, and references for statements,and in such cases, the accused must comply. The REC may also request the submission of documents from the accused.

Under no circumstances should the identity of the informant be directly or indirectly disclosed, and the informant's name should not be included in the investigation report unless absolutely necessary for protection purposes. Care must be taken to ensure that the honor and rights of the accused are not violated until the verification of misconduct is completed, and efforts should be made to restore the honor of the accused if they are found not guilty of misconduct. All matters related to the investigation, such as reporting, investigation, deliberation, decision-making, and recommendations, must be kept confidential, and individuals directly or indirectly involved in the investigation and relevant officials must not disclose any information acquired during the investigation and performance of their duties. However, if there is a legitimate need for disclosure, some information may be disclosed following the decision of the REC.

REC must ensure that both the informant and the accused have equal rights and opportunities to express their opinions, raise objections, and present arguments. They should be informed of the relevant procedures in advance.

Policies regarding research and publication ethics not specifically described in these regulations shall adhere to the International Standards for Editors and Authors(http://publicationethics.org/international-standards-editors-and-authors) for editors and authors. In cases where research misconduct not specifically described in these regulations occurs, post-investigation measures shall follow the COPE flowchart, and matters related to research integrity not covered in these regulations shall be governed by national laws and regulations concerning integrity.

The chairman of REC finalizes the investigation findings and results and notifies the informant and the accused in writing.

If consensus on the investigation findings and results cannot be reached, a decision is made by a majority vote of the attending members, with at least two-thirds in favor.

If 30 days pass after the notification of the investigation results without the accused contesting the misconduct, it is considered as admitted.

If the decision or the reason of the ethics committee is unreasonable in the perspective of a researcher who has been judged as having performed a research misconduct, he or she may raise an objection in writing only once within one month from the date of notification.

1) In the ethics committee, the chairperson may review the validity of the objection and reconfirm or re-deliberate the decision. The result will be reported to the president of the society.
2) The president of the society notifies the relevant researcher of the decision of the ethics committee and the reason for the objection.

If misconduct is detected during the review process of a submitted paper, the review of that paper is immediately halted. If a published paper is confirmed to be a case of misconduct, the following measures may be taken: (1) The paper may be retracted, with written notification to the author’s institution,(2) Announcement of the incident on the society's journal.

Records related to this investigation shall be kept by the REC and preserved for five years from the conclusion of the investigation.