Grade 4 Secretary of Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education Arrested for Bribery 'Detained'

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jun-kyung] An official under the Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education was arrested on charges including bribery, triggering an emergency within the education authorities.

According to the Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education on the 6th, the police arrested Secretary A on charges of receiving bribes from companies related to school supplies at the time.

Earlier, after the first raid on the blackout screen supplier and some departments of the Office of Education, the police obtained intelligence related to bribery suspicions and conducted an additional raid on the Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education.

Secretary A, who was then the head of the facilities department, underwent focused raids at multiple locations including the office, residence, and private car.

As a result, Secretary A, who was a candidate for promotion to Grade 3 Deputy Director, was reassigned as the head of an agency directly under the Office of Education. It was effectively a disciplinary demotion.

A police official stated, “The decision to arrest Secretary A was made during the process of concluding the blackout screen supply investigation,” adding, “Since the investigation is ongoing, we cannot disclose detailed information.”

An official from the Office of Education said, “We had anticipated that Secretary A might be arrested, but the sudden news of the arrest on the 3rd was a big shock,” and added, “There are rumors that some executives might be indicted, so it is true that the atmosphere within the Office of Education is unsettled.”