Suspicion of Promotion and Regular Personnel Transfer of Grade 5 Officials for Tourism Training on the Day Before the College Scholastic Ability Test

Transfer from 2nd Grade Yeonggwang Office of Education to 1st Grade Jangseong Office of Education

Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education: "Personnel changes for Grade 5 and above do not apply to 1st and 2nd Grade areas"

The Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education is facing allegations that a Grade 5 administrative officer, who was involved in a controversy over a tourism-related training trip, was recently transferred to a promotion position in the regular personnel reshuffle. In response, the Office of Education has denied the promotion claim.

According to the Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education on the 28th, in the regular personnel reshuffle for general public officials conducted on the 20th of 2024's first half, Mr. A, the head of administration at Yeonggwang Education Support Office, was transferred to the head of administration at Jangseong Education Support Office.

Mr. A, the head of administration, was involved in controversy after it was revealed that Yeonggwang Education Support Office officials went on a tourism-related training trip the day before the College Scholastic Ability Test.

As a result, there are suspicions that Mr. A’s transfer from Yeonggwang, a Grade 2 area, to Jangseong, a Grade 1 area, constitutes a promotion, and that the Office of Education is covering up Mr. A’s issues.

It is difficult to accept that after a three-day public service discipline inspection, the head of the Education Support Office was transferred without proper measures to Jangseong Education Support Office, a Grade 1 area close to Gwangju Metropolitan City.

On the other hand, the Office of Education stated that the Grade 1 and Grade 2 area classifications apply only to general public officials below Grade 6, and that Grade 5 administrative officers and above are exempt, so there is no problem at all.

Yeonggwang has 39 schools and 3,045 students, while Jangseong County has a total of 35 schools and 2,487 students. Since Jangseong has fewer schools and students and a smaller budget, it is a smaller area than Yeonggwang, so the claim of promotion does not make sense, according to the Office of Education.

An official from the Office of Education explained, “In the two areas of Gurye and Gokseong, administrative heads who have completed their terms are waiting for assignments, so Mr. A, who has only been in the position for one year, had no place to go but Jangseong. Faculty members prefer locations close to their residences, so the classification of Grade 1 or Grade 2 areas is not determined solely by proximity to Gwangju. Originally, Mr. A also hoped to be assigned to Wando, where he previously worked, but that did not happen.”