Cho Hee-yeon Apologizes for 'Divisive' Remarks on "Groups Getting Paid Without Working"

"There Are Groups Receiving Salaries Without Working at School"

Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, apologized on the 15th after causing controversy over "division" by leaving a comment saying, "There is a group that gets paid even if they don't work at school." / Photo by Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, Facebook capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] Jo Hee-yeon, Superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, apologized on the 15th after leaving a comment saying, "There is a group that gets paid even if they don't work at school," which sparked controversy over 'division.'

On the same day, Superintendent Jo wrote on his Facebook, "I saw the page comments and it seems I used an expression that unnecessarily caused misunderstanding. When I divided into 'the group that gets paid even if they don't work' and 'the group that doesn't get paid if they don't work,' I was by no means referring to a distinction between 'teachers and non-teachers,'" adding, "Teachers are coming to school and working even during the COVID-19 situation, and administrative office staff are also working hard every day. I apologize for causing misunderstanding."

On the 14th, Superintendent Jo posted on his Facebook, "The situation is that school will start on the 23rd, but should it be postponed?" and wrote, "Primarily, I think postponing the start of school is inevitable, but I seek wisdom."

He continued in the comments, "In fact, at school, there is a 'group that gets paid even if they don't work' and a 'group that doesn't get paid if they don't work,'" and said, "For the latter, if the school opening is further postponed, extraordinary measures will be necessary."

However, comments opposing Superintendent Jo's claim followed on the post. Netizens raised critical voices such as, "Saying there is a group that gets paid even if they don't work is a statement that can cause misunderstanding," "Are you referring to teachers as the group that doesn't work? They have been working with a heart of sacrifice for the children, and this is disheartening," "This word choice clearly shows how the superintendent views teachers," and "Are you dividing groups to create division?"

As the controversy continued, Superintendent Jo posted another apology on the same day. In his Facebook post, he said, "I sincerely apologize for using expressions that could be problematic in the page comments," and "Regardless of the reason, I apologize to the teachers who were hurt by this post."

He added, "I wrote this with the hope that no one in the entire educational community would be marginalized or suffer difficulties," and "As the superintendent, I know better than anyone that teachers and administrative staff at schools are working hard every day."