Private School Involved in Hiring Corruption Received 800 Million Won, Paid Only 1.5 Million Won

Gwangju School Foundation Ignores Responsibility Despite Guilty Verdict
Calls Grow for Recovery of Subsidies as True Justice

A private educational foundation in Gwangju was found guilty of accepting bribes and soliciting favors in the teacher recruitment process in the past. Although the court imposed a forfeiture order and the teachers' appointments were canceled, the other key issue?recovery of subsidies?remains unresolved. This highlights the gap between a 'responsible verdict' and 'substantive enforcement.'

Gwangju Office of Education building.

According to the legal community and the Gwangju Office of Education on the 15th, School Foundation A was found to have accepted bribes during the teacher recruitment process at its affiliated schools. The bribes ranged from 10 million won to 150 million won. The chairman was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to forfeit 170 million won, while the foundation's manager was also convicted. Six teachers who were illicitly hired received fines and suspended sentences, and the Gwangju Office of Education canceled all of their appointments.

The problem arose afterward. Due to the teacher vacancies caused by the illegal hiring, the Gwangju Office of Education demanded the return of 820 million won in financial deficit subsidies over nine occasions from 2017 to 2023. However, the school foundation refused to pay, prompting the education office to file a lawsuit. In November 2023, the Gwangju High Court issued a mediation recommendation recognizing the foundation's obligation to pay the amount.

However, only 1.5 million won has actually been recovered since the decision. The school foundation is only required to repay the subsidies from the profits generated by 360 million won worth of revenue-generating assets, which the court has restricted from disposal. The return scheduled for 2025 is estimated at just 1.3 million won due to the low profitability of these assets. At this rate, less than 2% of the total amount will be recovered within the statute of limitations (10 years).

In response, the Citizens' Coalition for an Academic-Free Society, an educational civic group, stated, "The mediation recommendation failed to ensure the substantive return of the subsidies," and pointed out, "If the Gwangju Office of Education is serious about eradicating corruption in education, it needs to review the system for recovering subsidies." They also suggested "preparing measures for the efficient use of existing revenue-generating assets and considering attracting external financial contributors if full repayment is difficult."