Civic Groups Demand Superintendent Lee Jungseon Take Responsibility After Guilty Verdict in Recruitment Corruption Case

"Distorted Hiring Process"... Lowest Integrity Rating
"No Trust Without Apology and Reform"

After the former head of the personnel team at the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education was sentenced to prison in connection with a high-level recruitment corruption case, civic groups have begun to repeatedly call for Superintendent Lee Jungseon to resign and take responsible action.

On the morning of the 13th, members of the Gwangju Education Civic Coalition and civil society organizations held a press conference in front of the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education, urging Superintendent Lee Jungseon to take responsibility for the guilty verdict in the recruitment corruption case involving the auditor. Photo by Song Bohyun

On the 13th, the Gwangju Education Civic Coalition held a press conference in front of the Office of Education, stating, "Although the judiciary has handed down a guilty verdict in the auditor recruitment corruption case, Superintendent Lee Jungseon continues to evade responsibility. To restore trust in educational administration, he must step down from his position."

The coalition emphasized, "This incident is not a simple personnel issue, but a major act of corruption that has shaken the very foundation of fairness and integrity in Gwangju's education system. Violating the principles of blind recruitment and forming the interview panel based on school ties are clear examples of systematically distorting the hiring process."

They further criticized, "Superintendent Lee has repeatedly insisted he was not involved during the National Assembly audit and city council sessions, and once again offered only a perfunctory apology. The fact that the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education has ranked among the lowest nationwide in the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission's integrity assessment for two consecutive years is a direct result of this lack of public trust."

On the same day, 38 civic organizations advocating for the normalization of Gwangju's education also held a press conference in front of the Office of Education, demanding an official apology from the superintendent and institutional reforms. They stated, "It is shocking that, from the early days of Superintendent Lee's tenure, educational administration has been operated based on specific personal connections and private relationships. The explanation that a single official acted alone only raises suspicions of scapegoating."

The organizations declared, "Integrity must be restored and public trust in Gwangju's education rebuilt. The superintendent should take responsibility for the personnel corruption and formally apologize to the citizens." They also urged the Office of Education to thoroughly investigate the full scope of the incident, including any involvement by higher-level officials, and to establish a transparent and fair personnel system.

Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education.

Previously, on the previous day, the Gwangju District Court Criminal Division 5 (Presiding Judge Ji Hyesun) sentenced the former head of the personnel team at the Office of Education, identified as Mr. A, to one year and six months in prison on charges of falsifying official documents, violating the Local Public Officials Act, and obstructing official duties by fraudulent means. As a result of the prison sentence, Mr. A's third request for bail was also denied. The court stated, "There is evidence that the defendant persuaded subordinates to make false statements, and considering the public nature of the auditor recruitment at the Office of Education, the responsibility is grave."

Mr. A was indicted on charges of instructing evaluation committee members to alter scores so that Superintendent Lee's high school classmate would be selected during the recruitment process for the open position of auditor at the Office of Education in August 2022. At the time, Superintendent Lee was also investigated by prosecutors, including a search and seizure, and filed a quasi-appeal claiming procedural illegality, but the court dismissed it. He is currently appealing to the Supreme Court.