Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Requests Reconsideration from Board of Audit and Inspection, Emphasizing "Need to Resolve the Issue"

Criticism of Audit Unfairness and Investigation Process in Special Recruitment Through Statement
"Issue That Should Be Resolved by System Improvement Escalated to Criminal Case"
Audit Office's Refusal of Lawyer Attendance and Lack of Legal Defense Opportunities Pointed Out

Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, is arriving at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 11th. Superintendent Cho became the first investigation target of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Division (HCID) after the Board of Audit and Inspection revealed that he had unfairly specially hired dismissed teachers affiliated with the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU). Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education submitted a request for reconsideration regarding the Board of Audit and Inspection's (BAI) audit results on the 20th, sharply criticizing the BAI's measures point by point.

On this day, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education filed a request for reconsideration with the BAI, attaching materials confirming that the special recruitment of secondary education public officials was conducted legitimately. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education stated, "We hope that the reconsideration will be conducted fairly and will sincerely participate in the reconsideration process."

Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon issued a statement regarding the submission of the request, strongly criticizing the BAI's investigation process.

Superintendent Cho said, "I express regret to the BAI for starting off on the wrong foot and hereby request reconsideration," adding, "This issue, which should have been resolved through institutional improvement, has escalated into a criminal case. Even now, the BAI needs to take responsibility and resolve this tangled situation."

Superintendent Cho pointed out, "Although special recruitment differs from new recruitment, the BAI conducted the audit of special recruitment from the perspective of new recruitment," and added, "They interpreted the micro-level issues arising from institutional shortcomings in the special recruitment process as a massive corruption scandal. What is needed now is institutional improvement that preserves the purpose of special recruitment as stipulated in the Education Officials Act while ensuring smooth procedural operation."

He further explained, "Through special recruitment, 1,557 teachers who were dismissed due to joining the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) in 1989 were reinstated, and from 2000 to the present, various dismissed teachers in the Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Daejeon, Sejong, Jeonbuk, Jeonnam, and Gyeongnam Offices of Education have been specially recruited for reasons related to democratization movements and private school democratization, regardless of the superintendent's ideological orientation."

Officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) are carrying boxes as they move to conduct a search and seizure at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on the 18th regarding allegations of unfair special hiring of dismissed teachers involving Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

Superintendent Cho stated, "Above all, what I want to raise through this reconsideration request is that the BAI did not guarantee the right to a fair defense by not allowing legal counsel to be present during the investigation," and added, "The BAI treated the administrative investigation like a criminal matter, so its responsibility for not guaranteeing the right to defense is even greater."

He continued, "The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education demands that the right to have a lawyer present during the BAI's investigation be institutionalized, similar to judicial procedures, taking this incident as an opportunity," and said, "We cooperated with the BAI's investigation and quietly requested this, but it was rejected. Even during this investigation, the Korean Bar Association protested for the guarantee of the right to have legal counsel present, but it was not accepted."

Superintendent Cho requested, "Please ensure that the audited institution is given sufficient opportunity to fully present its position during the reconsideration process," and criticized, "The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education was not given prior notice of the audit results committee meeting and thus did not even have the last chance to defend its prepared position. As a result, only the BAI's claims were enforced, leading to a one-sided interpretation of the case."

Last month, the BAI concluded in its 'Local Government Mobile Inspection' report that Superintendent Cho had instructed the relevant department to review and promote special recruitment for five dismissed teachers in July-August 2018. The report stated that although the deputy superintendent and the heads of the relevant departments opposed the special recruitment, Superintendent Cho unilaterally approved and pushed forward the hiring. The BAI urged the Minister of Education to caution Superintendent Cho and requested disciplinary action against employee A from the secretariat. Subsequently, the BAI reported Superintendent Cho to the police, and the case was transferred to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO). On the 18th, the CIO conducted a search and seizure at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education.