Former Myeongjin High School Chairman in Gwangju Receives Final Ruling of 10 Million Won Fine for "Embezzlement"

Concerns Grow Over Vice Principal-Centered Family Management Structure
Retaliatory Lawsuits Filed Against Whistleblower Teacher
Teachers' Union Urges Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education to Conduct Audit

The former chairman of the board at Myeongjin High School in Gwangju has received a final ruling from the Supreme Court, confirming a fine of 10 million won for the private use of a corporate credit card. The case, which was detected during an audit by the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education and subsequently reported to authorities, involved the former chairman using the Do Yeon Academy Foundation’s corporate card for personal expenses on 423 occasions, totaling 15 million won.

The Gwangju Teachers’ Union stated on the 30th that a fine of 10 million won constitutes a severe penalty by public service standards. The union attributed the incident to the mistaken belief that a chairman can use the assets of a private school foundation at will. The union also criticized the family-run management of the Myeongjin High School foundation, describing it as an exceptionally serious case even among Gwangju’s private school foundations.

According to the union, the previous chairman was the uncle of the current vice principal, and the new chairman is the vice principal’s husband. The vice principal’s older sister is employed as a music teacher, and her sister’s husband also serves as a board member. The union explained that these family members form a structure surrounding the foundation, occupying positions as vice principal, teacher, chairman, and board member.

Myeongjin High School also has a whistleblower teacher who previously reported corruption in teacher recruitment. This teacher alerted the authorities to the former chairman’s request for money and cooperated with the prosecution’s investigation, which led to the vice principal Kim’s mother, who was the chairman at the time, being sentenced to prison and serving her term. Afterwards, the whistleblower teacher was dismissed and became involved in legal disputes, but won all lawsuits. Of the 22 million won in legal costs the foundation was ordered to pay, 16 million won remains unpaid.

The teachers’ union called on the city education office to audit whether the former chairman’s fine is being paid from the foundation’s budget, to instruct the foundation to immediately pay the whistleblower teacher the outstanding legal costs, and to provide special employment for the whistleblower teacher to ensure they are no longer subjected to harassment.