Cancellation of Hanyuchong Corporation Establishment Invalid... Supreme Court Final Victory

Final Victory in Lawsuit Challenging Corporate Establishment Cancellation
Hanyuchong: "We Will Improve Perception of Private Kindergartens and Make Self-Cleansing Efforts"
Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education: "Regretful but Respect Court Ruling"

On the 26th, members attending the '24th Regular General Assembly of the Korea Kindergarten Association' held at the Korea Teachers' Union MW Convention in Seocho-gu, Seoul, are entering the assembly hall. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education's cancellation of the corporate establishment of the Korea Kindergarten Association (Hanyuchong) has been declared invalid. They won the final lawsuit filed in opposition to the corporate establishment.

On the 26th, the Supreme Court's 1st Division upheld the lower court's ruling in favor of Hanyuchong in the lawsuit against the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education seeking to cancel the cancellation of the corporate establishment permit. Following the previous first and second trial rulings, Hanyuchong also won at the Supreme Court, avoiding the cancellation of its establishment.

Hanyuchong, a private kindergarten organization, opposed the Kindergarten 3 Laws in March 2019 and postponed the opening. The Kindergarten 3 Laws refer to amendments to the Early Childhood Education Act, Private School Act, and School Meals Act, created to prevent the misuse of government subsidies. In April of that year, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education canceled Hanyuchong's corporate establishment permit, citing that Hanyuchong's refusal to open, collective closure, and special membership fee collection harmed the public interest. The first and second trial courts ruled in favor of Hanyuchong, stating, "Private kindergartens participating in Hanyuchong's opening delay protest accounted for only 6.2% of the total, and the delay period was only one day."

Welcoming the Supreme Court ruling, Hanyuchong stated, "As we unconditionally accepted Edufine in 2019, we are cooperating with the education authorities' efforts to strengthen accounting transparency, and we will not neglect self-purification efforts through improving the perception of private kindergartens and internal innovation." They also added, "We hope the Ministry of Education will provide sufficient information and engage in dialogue with private kindergartens, the policy targets, during the implementation of the Kindergarten 3 Laws, public interest enhancement policies, and related private kindergarten policy processes."

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education expressed regret over the court's final ruling but stated that it respects the court's decision.