Audit Board: "Cho Hee-yeon Specially Recruited 5 Dismissed Teachers... Police Report Filed"

Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, is quenching his thirst after finishing his opening remarks at a press conference held at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 6th. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] An audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection revealed that Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, improperly ordered the special hiring of five dismissed teachers.

The Board of Audit and Inspection reported Cho to the police and also submitted investigative reference materials to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO).

According to the 'Local Government Mobile Inspection' audit report released on the 23rd, Superintendent Cho, shortly after beginning his second term in July-August 2018, identified five dismissed teachers and instructed the relevant departments to review and promote their special hiring.

Among them, one individual was known to have run as a preliminary candidate in the superintendent election in June of the same year, later unified with Superintendent Cho, and assisted in his election campaign.

When the staff, including the responsible officers and deputy superintendents, opposed the special hiring citing unfairness and concerns over preferential treatment, Superintendent Cho unilaterally approved the special hiring documents without the review or approval of the working-level personnel and forcibly proceeded with the hiring, the audit revealed.

The audit also uncovered that Mr. A, belonging to the Superintendent’s Secretariat who received Superintendent Cho’s instructions, improperly interfered in the composition of the screening committee, document and interview evaluations.

Typically, screening committee members are selected by department heads from within the talent pool, but in this special hiring committee, Mr. A appointed the committee members. Among the five committee members, three were acquaintances of Mr. A who were not in the talent pool.

Mr. A also influenced the evaluation by explaining to the committee members that "this special hiring is intended to employ dismissed teachers and those who have naturally retired," affecting the screening process.

Ultimately, only the five individuals specifically identified by Superintendent Cho were hired as educational officials through this special hiring.

The Board of Audit and Inspection urged strict caution against Superintendent Cho to the Minister of Education along with the filing of charges and requested disciplinary action beyond a minor penalty against Mr. A, who was involved in selecting the screening committee members.

Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon expressed "deep regret" over the audit results and argued that "the special hiring system for educational officials is at the discretion of the superintendent."

In a statement released late in the afternoon, Superintendent Cho said, "The Office of Education lawfully carried out the special hiring within the superintendent’s authority in accordance with laws and procedures," and added, "The superintendent never instructed the special hiring of specific dismissed teachers, and the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education did not improperly operate the special hiring screening committee’s composition and management."

He further stated, "We will immediately request a re-examination of the Board of Audit and Inspection’s disciplinary demands to correct the erroneous facts and prove our innocence."

The special hiring of dismissed teachers was known at the time to have been carried out under Superintendent Cho’s will, sparking controversy.

During the National Assembly audit, when this special hiring was criticized as "privilege and unfairness," Superintendent Cho responded by saying, "The specially hired teachers made efforts to resolve private school corruption and educational reform during their time away from the classroom, so they were hired from a perspective of inclusion."