Hwimun High School's Appropriate Response to 'Administrative Litigation'
It has been revealed that the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education requested Huimun High School to impose a "salary reduction" penalty on Hyun Joo-yeop, the basketball coach of Huimun High School, who was suspected of unauthorized absence from work due to filming a "mukbang" broadcast. Huimun High School has filed an administrative lawsuit and a provisional injunction to suspend execution, requesting the cancellation of the audit results at the Seoul Administrative Court.
According to the "Comprehensive Audit Report on Huimun High School" received by Kang Kyung-sook, a member of the National Assembly Education Committee from the Innovation Party for Justice, from the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on the 22nd, the Office of Education requested a minor disciplinary action of "salary reduction" regarding Coach Hyun's unauthorized absence from work in July.
For the Huimun Foundation Huimun-suk, the Office of Education requested disciplinary actions including suspension for the principal of Huimun High School, reprimands for the vice principal, teachers, and the head of the administrative office, and a warning for the acting vice principal.
A parent of a student at Huimun High School reportedly submitted a petition to the Office of Education earlier this year, stating that Coach Hyun neglected his duties as a coach due to broadcasting activities such as filming "mukbang" and did not perform his work properly. In response, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education conducted a special inspection of Huimun High School starting in early April and then initiated a formal audit to investigate this matter.
In the audit report, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education stated about Coach Hyun, "Although he should have used tardiness, early leave, outings, or annual leave when engaging in concurrent broadcasting activities, he was absent without prior permission 18 times, neglecting his primary duties as a sports team coach."
It was also considered a violation of the law that from November 2023 to February 2024, during Coach Hyun's broadcasting activity period, a person was employed as a substitute coach without going through hiring procedures or receiving compensation. According to the Office of Education, Mr. A worked as an unpaid "talent donation coach" without a labor contract and served in place of Coach Hyun. Mr. A is reported to be an alumnus of the same high school as Coach Hyun.
Furthermore, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education claimed that the principal of Huimun High School verbally instructed two coaches who worked before Coach Hyun not to come to work without going through the school operation committee review, even though there was no reason for mid-term contract termination. It also explained that 31.59 million KRW was paid to the two coaches without formal procedures, and about 20 million KRW was transferred from the corporate account and paid to Coach Hyun without appointment reporting.
The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education stated, "(Huimun High School) improperly executed the salaries of former coaches and operated the basketball team in a dysfunctional manner," adding, "Concurrent employment and attendance management were also inappropriate." Huimun High School filed an administrative lawsuit to cancel the audit results at the Seoul Administrative Court on September 30.
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