Prosecutors Investigate Gwangju Office of Education Hiring Corruption... Targeting Higher-Ups

Search and Seizure at Superintendent's Closest Associate's Home
Digital Forensic Analysis of Mobile Phone Begins

The prosecution, which is investigating irregularities in the hiring process at the Gwangju Office of Education, has reportedly launched a compulsory investigation into a close associate of Gwangju Superintendent Lee Jungseon, indicating that the scope of the investigation is expanding.

According to legal sources on the 9th, the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office recently conducted a search and seizure of the home and other locations of Mr. A, a retired executive from the Gwangju Office of Education known to be a close associate of Superintendent Lee. Mr. A is being investigated as a witness, not a suspect, and it is reported that the prosecution is also conducting digital forensics on the seized mobile phone.

Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office. Photo by Song Bohyun

This investigation began with suspicions surrounding the selection of Superintendent Lee's high school classmate as the final candidate during the 2022 hiring process for the auditor at the Gwangju Office of Education. At that time, former HR team leader Mr. B (55), who was involved in the personnel decision, was indicted on charges including falsifying official documents and violating the Local Public Officials Act, and is currently on trial.

According to the prosecution, Mr. B allegedly told the evaluation committee, "A person who is too young should not become an auditor," citing the low score of a particular candidate, and induced the committee to revise the scores. As a result, the candidate's score was increased by a total of 16 points, leading to their selection as the final candidate. This candidate was later hired as the auditor.

During the trial, the prosecution stated, "An investigation into accomplices is currently underway, and there is a high possibility that the defendant may attempt to destroy evidence through a third party." The court accepted this argument and rejected Mr. B's request for bail.

Earlier, during the search and seizure of the Gwangju Office of Education, the prosecution also secured Superintendent Lee Jungseon's mobile phone.