"I Will Prove No Charges in the Audit Office Special Recruitment Improper Instruction Report"
Emphasized That No 5 Individuals Were Specified and Procedures Were Followed Legally
"Staff Felt Burden Due to Past Special Recruitment Issues, Proceeded Without Consent or Approval Signatures"
On the 20th, Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of Education for Seoul, announced strengthened COVID-19 prevention measures for schools and academies nationwide at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, has fully refuted the Board of Audit and Inspection's conclusion that he improperly instructed the special recruitment of secondary education public officials and announced that he will apply for a reconsideration to prove his innocence.
On the 29th, Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, said, "I regret that the Board of Audit and Inspection made this decision without giving the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education an opportunity to explain," and added, "I will apply for reconsideration as soon as possible to prove my innocence."
Earlier, the Board of Audit and Inspection issued a report stating that during the special recruitment process of five dismissed teachers in 2018, Superintendent Cho instructed to hire these five specific individuals. In response, Superintendent Cho said, "The Seoul Metropolitan Council and teachers' organizations requested the special recruitment of dismissed teachers in relation to educational polarization and political basic rights," and explained, "The Deputy Superintendent and the heads of departments felt burdened by previous special recruitment issues and proceeded with the special recruitment without obtaining consent or approval signatures."
Superintendent Cho clarified that there was no fact of forcing recruitment through sole approval or specifying the recruitment candidates. He explained, "The relevant department handled the practical work, and after the special recruitment candidates were confirmed, the heads of departments and other officials all signed the public official appointment documents, so it was not excluded from the work," and added, "The special recruitment processing guidelines were handwritten after legal consultation with only the phrase 'special recruitment will be promoted for retired teachers recognized for their contribution to realizing public value,' without specifying the five individuals."
Document handwritten with special recruitment processing guidelines and superintendent instructions disclosed by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (Source: Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education)
He pointed out that the Board of Audit and Inspection predetermined the conclusion that 'special recruitment was conducted to hire dismissed teachers' and repeatedly investigated the screening committee members. He explained, "They predetermined the conclusion that 'the relevant department exposed to the screening committee members that the special recruitment was for hiring five dismissed teachers,' and investigated the responsible education officers nine times, education supervisors six times, and the screening committee members multiple times," adding, "During the investigation, they forcedfully led the questioning to make them write confirmation statements, and later three screening committee members corrected their statements after realizing this fact."
Regarding the Board of Audit and Inspection's claim that only the dismissed teachers intended for recruitment were hired as education public officials, thereby undermining the fairness of the recruitment process, Superintendent Cho stated, "Among the 14 first-round successful candidates, the top five who received high scores for realizing public value were confirmed as special recruitment candidates," and added, "Those who failed were evaluated as either not meeting the application qualifications or having a lower degree of realizing public value compared to the successful candidates."
Meanwhile, on the 22nd, the Board of Audit and Inspection announced through the 'Local Government, etc. Mobile Inspection' report that there was an improper recruitment instruction. The Board of Audit and Inspection filed a complaint against Superintendent Cho with the police and also submitted investigation reference materials to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials. They urged the Minister of Education to caution Superintendent Cho and requested disciplinary action against Mr. A.
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