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On the 18th, the Joint Countermeasures Committee for Protecting Seoul Education held a press conference condemning the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, following the CIO's Investigation Division 2's search and seizure of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education regarding allegations of unfair special recruitment of dismissed teachers by Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education continues to face turmoil, including a search and seizure by the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency (PCA) over allegations of improper orders related to the special hiring of dismissed teachers. With next year's presidential election and superintendent election approaching, Superintendent Cho's position appears to be narrowing.

The PCA conducted a search and seizure from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the 18th, lasting about 10 hours. They secured materials related to the special hiring process of dismissed teachers from the superintendent's office on the 9th floor and the policy advisory office on the 10th floor. After analyzing the seized items, the PCA plans to summon related individuals for questioning. Superintendent Cho did not appear at the office as he attended a memorial event for the Gwangju Democratization Movement and carried out his schedule in Gwangju.

On the day, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education stated, "We will actively cooperate with the investigation," adding, "We believe the PCA will make a judgment based on the law without being swayed by political factions regarding this case. We hope the PCA will be recorded in history as a model of desirable investigation."

The PCA's investigation began with the Board of Audit and Inspection's report on the special hiring of dismissed teachers. According to the Board of Audit and Inspection's 'On-site Inspection of Local Governments' report, Superintendent Cho specifically instructed the relevant departments to review and promote the special hiring of five dismissed teachers between July and August 2018. The report states that although the deputy superintendent and the heads of the relevant departments opposed the special hiring, Superintendent Cho unilaterally approved and pushed through the hiring. It also revealed that an individual, A, from the superintendent's secretariat was involved in forming the screening committee and in document and interview evaluations. The Board of Audit and Inspection requested the Minister of Education to urge Superintendent Cho to exercise caution and to discipline employee A from the secretariat.

Officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) are carrying boxes on the 18th to conduct a search and seizure at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education regarding allegations of unfair special hiring of dismissed teachers involving Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

Superintendent Cho argued that the special hiring was conducted through proper procedures and that the Board of Audit and Inspection conducted the investigation forcefully with a predetermined conclusion. He also expressed his intention to request a reconsideration from the Board of Audit and Inspection.

Superintendent Cho stated, "The Seoul Metropolitan Council and teacher organizations requested the special hiring of dismissed teachers related to educational polarization and political basic rights," adding, "The deputy superintendent and the heads of departments, feeling burdened by previous special hiring issues, proceeded with the special hiring without obtaining consent or approval." Those hired were individuals involved in exposing private school corruption, democratization activists, and teachers advocating for the abolition of privileged schools. Superintendent Cho claimed, "The special hiring processing guidelines were drafted after legal consultation and only included a handwritten phrase stating that special hiring would be promoted for retired teachers recognized for their public value contributions, without specifying the five individuals."

Officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) are carrying boxes as they move to conduct a search and seizure at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on the 18th regarding allegations of unfair special recruitment of dismissed teachers involving Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

Teacher organizations expressed contrasting views on the PCA's investigation. The Seoul Education Protection Joint Countermeasure Committee, composed of progressive education groups including the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU), held a press conference the day before, criticizing, "This search and seizure is a ruthless attack on a democratically elected superintendent by Seoul citizens," and added, "It is hard to accept with common sense that this is a power-type corruption case requiring such an intense investigation, and we cannot help but worry that a biased political judgment will be made."

The conservative-leaning teacher organization, the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations (KFTA), stated regarding the PCA investigation, "Ahead of next year's presidential and superintendent elections, it should not be a case of merely dragging out time or ending with a conclusion that no one is at fault," and emphasized, "We will closely monitor the PCA's investigation results and hope this becomes an opportunity to establish fairness and trust in education."

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