Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education Frequently Changes Policy Directors... Why This Time?

Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jun-kyung] Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education is raising suspicions by frequently changing the head of the Policy Bureau, which oversees education policies.

According to Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education on the 11th, they finalized and announced the regular personnel appointments for 14 major positions and made a surprise appointment of Jo Jeong-ja, Superintendent of Gwangyang Office of Education, as the head of the Policy Bureau at the main office.

However, in this personnel appointment, the head of the Policy Bureau, who plays the role of the 'command post' of the education office, was replaced just six months ago last year without any special reason, and has been replaced again within only one year.

Such inconsistent personnel appointments have led to continuous criticism both inside and outside the education authorities, pointing out that it is difficult for anyone to understand these appointments.

The Provincial Office of Education stated, "Due to the burdensome situation where all tasks are concentrated, including the development of new programs such as COVID-19 and rural student exchange programs, the head of the Policy Bureau found it difficult," but those around the office responded that it is incomprehensible to frequently replace the position of Policy Bureau head simply because it is difficult.

The Policy Bureau, newly established in March last year, is an important organization that oversees policy, planning, coordination, and safety at the main office, functioning as a command post.

The head of the Policy Bureau is appointed as a general civil service deputy director or superintendent, and the Policy Bureau operates with four teams: ▲Policy Planning Division ▲Innovation Education Division ▲Safety General Division ▲Labor-Management Policy Division.

This personnel appointment involved large-scale changes in two main office positions, three direct agencies, and nine education support offices.

The Provincial Office of Education maintains that this personnel appointment, including the Policy Bureau, was conducted after comprehensively considering various opinions from education officials, career backgrounds, length of service, and evaluations, but some analysts believe it is a personnel move made with the upcoming election in mind.

An anonymous official from the Provincial Office of Education said, "It seems that a full-scale personnel reorganization has been carried out in preparation for next year's superintendent election," and added, "The Policy Bureau is still in a state of confusion and has not settled, so many employees are struggling. I understand that the reason Jo Jeong-ja was appointed is because a gentle yet strong charisma was needed."

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