"Inclusion of Diverse Perspectives Due to the Nature of the Advisory Committee"
Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Conducts Separate Investigation from the Ministry of Education
The Ministry of Education announced that it has dismissed the head of Reebak School, a conservative-leaning organization under suspicion of 'comment manipulation,' from the Education Policy Advisory Committee. As the Ministry of Education has stated its intention to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the connection between Reebak School and the Neulbom School program, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education is also conducting its own investigation.
On June 2, Koo Yeonhee, spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, said at a regular briefing, "Because the issue raised is sensitive, we dismissed Mr. Son from the advisory committee as of June 1," adding, "Mr. Son did not play a prominent role as an advisor and only attended a recent related workshop." Mr. Son was appointed as an Education Policy Advisor in June of last year to provide advice on the Minister of Education's policies. The Education Policy Advisory Committee consists of a total of 124 members, divided into subcommittees.
Spokesperson Koo stated, "It is a principle to compose the advisory committee with a diverse range of people, so members come from various fields, including progressive and conservative groups as well as civic organizations," and added, "Because the purpose of the advisory committee is to hear diverse opinions, we did not specifically require political neutrality during the appointment process."
On May 31, Newstapa reported that Reebak School lured people by issuing private certificates required to work as Neulbom instructors, and that organized comment manipulation in favor of a specific presidential candidate was carried out in group chat rooms for certificate training. The Ministry of Education has determined that Neulbom programs, in cooperation with Mr. Son, were supplied to 10 schools in the Seoul area through a business agreement with Seoul National University of Education. Mr. Son proposed program cooperation to Seoul National University of Education under the name 'Korea Neulbom Education Association,' and after reviewing the program, the university signed a business agreement.
At the briefing, the Ministry of Education clarified that the 10 programs supplied to elementary schools were not created directly by Reebak School. Spokesperson Koo said, "Seoul National University of Education developed the Neulbom programs, and the university also provided training for the instructors who teach those programs," adding, "However, because it was difficult for the university to recruit instructors on its own, it entered into agreements with related organizations to receive support for instructor recruitment." Seoul National University of Education is currently considering immediate suspension of the program's operation and cancellation of the business agreement.
Meanwhile, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education is also conducting its own investigation into the relationship between Reebak School and the Neulbom School program. On June 2, the Office released a statement saying, "We define this as an incident that undermined the essence of education by using schools, which are educational spaces, for political purposes. We express strong regret and will take firm measures to safeguard the political neutrality of education and prevent recurrence."
The statement continued, "The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education is conducting its own investigation into the Reebak School Neulbom program, separate from the Ministry of Education's investigation. If any illegalities are found as a result, we will take strong measures, such as suspending the operation of the program, and will prepare alternative programs," adding, "Along with a comprehensive survey to check the current status of the Neulbom program, we will investigate complaints related to program content and operation, and further strengthen supervision and management to ensure program quality."
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