Long-Term Appointment of Transition Committee Member Sparks Allegations of Biased Personnel Decisions
Gwangju Education Office Responds: "Replacement During Regular Reshuffle Is More Reasonable"
A local educational civic group has called for the replacement of the head of the Facilities Division at the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education, criticizing Superintendent Lee Jeongseon for allegedly violating position assignment regulations.
The Citizens’ Coalition for a Society Without Academic Cliques issued a statement on the 25th, claiming, "Director A of the Facilities Division has been serving beyond the two-year term limit for the position," and argued, "This is a violation of regulations and undermines fairness and equity in personnel management."
Article 7 of the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education’s position management regulations for general administrative officials stipulates that executives at grade 4 or higher who have served in the same position for more than two years must be transferred to another post. Director A was promoted and appointed as head of the Facilities Division on September 1, 2023.
The civic group pointed out, "In a situation where promotion bottlenecks are severe, keeping a specific individual in the same position for an extended period lowers staff morale and fosters distrust in overall personnel administration." They further claimed, "Director A previously served as an expert member of Superintendent Lee Jeongseon’s transition committee, and it would be difficult for him to maintain his current position without the superintendent’s protection. The continued appointment of multiple transition committee members to key positions in the main office and affiliated institutions indicates that this retention reflects the superintendent’s intentions."
The organization also referenced a recent hiring scandal involving the appointment of the superintendent’s high school classmate as an open recruitment auditor, adding, "Ongoing personnel controversies are eroding trust in the entire educational administration."
In response, the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education stated, "We are complying with relevant personnel regulations," and explained, "Position assignments are made by comprehensively considering the appointing authority’s discretion and organizational efficiency." The office further noted, "Since there is only one technical director position, rotation transfers are difficult, and assigning an administrative official would result in another transfer within just a few months, which is inefficient. We have determined that replacing the director during the regular personnel reshuffle in 2026, rather than through an ad hoc transfer in September 2025, is more reasonable in terms of efficiency and stability."
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