[Exclusive] "Over 100 Million Won in Taxpayer Money Spent on Souvenirs"...3 Million Won Workshops Yield Just One-Page Reports [University Transformation] ⑦

Ahead of This Year’s End, Three Workshops Held
Tens of Millions of Won Spent on Each Event... Venue Rental Alone Reaches 10 Million Won per Day
6 Million Won Spent on Materials Production, Yet Reports Remain Unpublished
Lavish on Commemorative Gi

There are growing concerns that the National Education Commission, which is supposed to present the mid- to long-term vision for education in South Korea, is engaging in excessive and wasteful budget spending. Not only did the commission spend tens of millions of won on workshops without producing any significant outcomes, but it also squandered over 100 million won of taxpayer money on souvenirs such as tumblers.

According to the detailed budget expenditure statement of the National Education Commission, obtained by Asia Economy on the 26th in collaboration with the office of Assemblywoman Kang Kyungsook of the Innovation Party for the Motherland, the commission held a total of three workshops in the first half of this year, spending tens of millions of won on each occasion. The first workshop, held in March, cost 30.12 million won; the second, in April, cost 22.4 million won; and the third, in May, cost 16.5 million won.

Among the detailed expenditures, the 'venue rental fee' stands out. For the first workshop, the commission spent 2.5 million won for a one-night, two-day venue rental, while for the second workshop, it spent 10.47 million won for a single day. Arithmetically, this is a tenfold difference. The first and second workshops were held in Songdo, Incheon, and Gangseo-gu, Seoul, respectively. One might speculate that the choice of these expensive hotels was due to considerations such as airport access and transportation. However, a first-term commission member stated, "There was no particular reason for choosing the location or venue." In fact, regional members used the KTX, and since meetings were held every Friday, they often had to compete for tickets. This member added, "Although the members requested to change the meeting day, former Chairperson Lee Baeyong insisted on holding meetings late every Friday afternoon due to her personal schedule, which caused difficulties for the members." The new commission has since changed the meeting day to every Thursday.

In addition, for each workshop, the commission spent more than 5 to 6 million won on service fees and management costs, and between 3.2 to 6 million won on the production of materials and promotional items.

The commission's wasteful management continued. A total of approximately 106 million won was spent on promotional items and souvenirs. While there was no expenditure under the name of 'institutional promotional items or souvenirs' in 2023, the commission began spending in April last year, with 27.5 million won for promotional souvenirs, followed by 7.86 million won in July, 35 million won in December, and 9.9 million won at other times. This trend continued this year as well. In June, the commission spent 25.8 million won on souvenirs for the National Education Commission Achievement Sharing Event.

What souvenirs were made with such large sums? When Assemblywoman Kang's office requested additional information, the commission revealed that the souvenirs produced were 'tumblers' and 'fans.'

Last year, the commission spent 27.5 million won to produce 500 tumblers and about 8 million won to produce 500 fans. At the end of the year, it produced another 700 tumblers at a cost of 35 million won. This year, under the name of 'souvenirs for the National Participation Committee Achievement Sharing Event,' wireless chargers were distributed, costing 25.8 million won.

However, there has been criticism regarding the actual 'achievements' produced. The outcomes are said to be dismal compared to the scale of the wasteful budget spending.

The commission produced a four-page report as the outcome of the first workshop, for which it spent 30 million won over two days. The length of the reports decreased with each session: three pages for the second workshop and only one page for the third.

Most of the content focused on university admissions and student assessment, while discussions on higher education were limited to generalities. The report included statements such as, "There are opinions that structural reform, financial support, strengthening the role of local communities, and university specialization are necessary to mitigate university hierarchies and private education issues." Such discussions are considered insufficient for the commission's third year of operation. This is why there is criticism that taxpayer money was spent without producing meaningful results. Assemblywoman Kang stated, "The National Education Commission, which should present the mid- to long-term vision and policy alternatives for South Korean education, is failing to fulfill its role," and added, "The commission should focus on restoring public trust through sound management and effective outcomes."