Gwangju Teachers’ Union Calls for Suspension of Officials over Alleged Bribery in Promotion Requests

City Education Office: "No Precedent for Suspension at the Investigation Stage"

The Gwangju Teachers’ Union has called for the immediate suspension of a director and a department head at the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education, claiming that they were subject to a search and seizure for allegedly providing money in connection with requests for promotion. While the Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Office is conducting an investigation, the city’s education office stated, "There is no precedent for suspension at the simple investigation stage."

Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education.

The Gwangju Teachers’ Union issued a statement the previous day, saying, "The Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education must immediately suspend one director and one department head who have been notified of the commencement of an investigation," and added, "They were even subject to a search and seizure on suspicion of providing money during the promotion request process."

The union further stated, "The city’s education office did not suspend a personnel officer who was sentenced to prison for involvement in the hiring corruption of an auditor until an arrest warrant was issued, and instead gave them the highest possible performance evaluation, making promotion possible," and continued, "If the superintendent wants to avoid criticism for protecting those accused of misconduct, immediate suspension is necessary."

In response, the Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Office said, "There is nothing we can disclose regarding the ongoing investigation," while the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education explained, "Except in cases such as sexual misconduct where immediate separation from the victim is necessary, there has been no precedent for suspension at the simple investigation stage."

Meanwhile, Lee Jeongseon, Superintendent of the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education, was booked by prosecutors in 2022 on charges of abuse of power for allegedly intervening in the hiring process of an auditor to appoint a high school classmate. Superintendent Lee has filed an objection and an appeal, claiming the investigation procedures were unlawful, and is currently awaiting a Supreme Court decision.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.