[2021 National Audit] Jo Kyung-tae "The Ministry of Education is Rotten"... Yoo Eun-hye "Retract Your Statement"

Incheon National University and Incheon Office of Education Corruption Suspension Controversy
Assemblyman Jo Kyung-tae Repeatedly Says "Ministry of Education is Rotten"
Deputy Prime Minister Yoo Also Refutes... Meeting Suspended for About 20 Minutes Amid Heated Exchange

Rep. Cho Kyung-tae of the People Power Party is attending and speaking at the National Assembly Education Committee's audit of the Ministry of Education held at the National Assembly on the 1st. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] At the Ministry of Education comprehensive audit, People Power Party lawmaker Cho Kyung-tae and Deputy Prime Minister Yoo Eun-hye raised their voices. This was after Cho Kyung-tae repeatedly mentioned that "the Ministry of Education is rotten."

On the 21st, during the National Assembly Education Committee's comprehensive audit of the Ministry of Education and its affiliated organizations, People Power Party lawmaker Cho Kyung-tae pointed out that those involved in the Incheon National University professor recruitment corruption and the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education principal recruitment corruption still hold their positions, saying, "There are too many recruitment corruptions when I came to the Education Committee. The Ministry of Education is rotten." The meeting was suspended for about 20 minutes amid the loud exchanges.

That morning at the audit, Rep. Cho said, "The person involved in the professor recruitment corruption suspicion at Incheon National University is currently sitting as the president," and added, "The Ministry of Education ordered a severe disciplinary action, but the university issued a light disciplinary measure."

Rep. Cho also said, "Among the six people suspected of corruption in the principal recruitment system at the Incheon Office of Education, one was arrested but was not suspended from duty," raising his voice, "The Ministry of Education is so rotten that other ministries are out of the question."

Deputy Prime Minister Yoo responded, "I ask you to withdraw the statement that the Ministry of Education is rotten," and said, "I cannot respond to such excessive remarks."

Rep. Cho retorted, "Who is the first target of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials? It is because the Ministry of Education is rotten. You are not qualified to talk about justice."

To this, Deputy Prime Minister Yoo replied, "There is a procedure for suspension from duty, and it cannot be done emotionally."

Eun-Hye Yoo, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs, is taking the oath as a witness at the National Assembly's Education Committee's audit of the Ministry of Education held at the National Assembly on the 1st. Photo by Dong-Joo Yoon doso7@

When the meeting resumed in the afternoon, loud exchanges between Rep. Cho and Deputy Prime Minister Yoo occurred again, prompting Chairman Cho Hae-jin to suspend the audit for about 20 minutes.

Rep. Cho raised his voice, referring to the corruption at the Incheon Office of Education and Incheon National University mentioned in the morning audit, saying, "I will explain why it is rotten."

Rep. Cho said, "In the Incheon Office of Education principal recruitment system, two elementary school teachers and two former aides to the current superintendent applied," and added, "The personnel officer in charge of the scholarship is also included, and although the person who led the recruitment corruption is under arrest, the minister responded that since the second and third trials remain, we have to wait. It is common sense to suspend from duty when indicted, so why is only the Ministry of Education so lenient?"

Deputy Prime Minister Yoo responded, "It was carried out according to the prescribed legal procedures," and said, "I ask you to withdraw your subjective judgment that it is rotten."

Rep. Cho pointed out that the disciplinary action after the Incheon National University audit was taken more than 60 days later, saying, "The notification of the audit results was delayed, allowing the person who committed corruption to extend their term by one year and retire normally," and criticized, "The chairman of the board responsible for over 50 violations at Incheon National University was reappointed this year."

Rep. Cho also pointed out that the standard to notify the head of the institution within 60 days after the audit was violated, saying, "That is why the Ministry of Education is rotten." Earlier, the Ministry of Education detected 55 cases in last year's comprehensive audit of Incheon National University and ordered disciplinary actions for 205 people, including 4 light disciplinary actions and 201 warnings or cautions.

Deputy Prime Minister Yoo explained, "It was not intentionally delayed; there are about 40 audit personnel, but the institutions to be audited are ten times more," and added, "It is a manpower issue, not a regulation issue. We are doing our best to operate the audit, but the disciplinary actions were delayed because multiple university audits were conducted simultaneously."

Deputy Prime Minister Yoo added, "It is necessary to comply well with the notification regulation within 60 days after the audit, and we emphasized internal procedural compliance," and said, "I think the resulting issues may have had a negative impact."

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