Gwangju Teachers' Union: "Hongbok Academy Normalization Must Block Return of Corrupt Forces"

Open Call for Financial Contributors Begins
"Consideration Needed for Conversion to Public School"

The Gwangju Teachers' Union has announced its response plan regarding the normalization of Hongbok Academy, stating, "We must prevent corrupt forces from entering and even consider converting the school into a public institution."

Exterior view of Seojin Girls' High School in Gwangju.

On September 1, the teachers' union released a statement saying, "The financial contributor holds a responsible position that must prioritize resolving the academy's debts, including liabilities to the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education," and added, "We will monitor to ensure that real estate developers or former board members who stepped down due to corruption do not simply change their names and participate in the acquisition process." The union continued, "To address the issue of overcrowded classes, we should also consider the option of Gwangsan District acquiring the school and converting it into a public institution," adding, "We will establish and operate a 'Hongbok Academy Normalization Special Committee' to oversee the normalization process."

Previously, on August 27, Hongbok Academy posted a notice on the Daekwang Girls' High School website announcing an "open call for financial contributors for normalization." Eligible applicants are citizens with educational insight and financial investment capability, and the application period runs until September 19. The interim board will select the financial contributor through a document and presentation review on September 23, and the results will be released on September 24 through the websites of Daekwang Girls' High School and Seojin Girls' High School. Applicants must submit a normalization implementation plan that includes: ▲plans for school development ▲purpose of financial contribution ▲funding methods ▲solutions to student commute route issues ▲plans for community contribution, among other requirements.

Since 2015, Hongbok Academy has been operated in an unstable manner after the appointment of an interim board due to founder Lee Hongha's embezzlement of school funds. In particular, in November of the previous year, a private development company, claiming ownership of the commute route land for Daekwang Girls' High School and Seojin Girls' High School, placed a container on one lane of the two-lane road, causing inconvenience for students and leading to ongoing conflict with the developer. Since last year, the city education office has formed a "Normalization Countermeasure Committee" to discuss solutions with interim board members, civic groups, professors, and foundation officials, and in March of this year, the office directly mediated the conflict over the commute route near Daekwang Girls' High School.

Once a financial contributor is confirmed, the final decision on normalization will be made following a review by the city education office and deliberation by the Ministry of Education's Private School Dispute Mediation Committee. If there are no external financial contributors, the recruitment process may be reopened. An official from the city education office stated, "Ensuring a safe educational environment for students must be the top priority," and added, "We will expedite the normalization process and provide support to resolve the commute route issue."

Yeo Donggu, interim chairman of Hongbok Academy, said, "I hope that someone with educational vision and financial commitment will step forward to normalize the foundation, providing an opportunity for Seojin Girls' High School and Daekwang Girls' High School to develop further."

Hongbok Academy operates Daekwang Girls' High School (24 classes, 528 students) and Seojin Girls' High School (17 classes, 254 students), both located on Seomun-daero in Nam-gu, Gwangju. The school's basic educational assets include 39,000 square meters of land and 19,000 square meters of buildings, while its revenue-generating assets consist of 69,000 square meters of land and 193 square meters of buildings.