'Gongsucheon 1ho' Jo Hee-yeon Dismissed Teacher Unfair Hiring Trial to Begin on the 9th

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The trial for the case involving Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon’s unfair special hiring of dismissed teachers, which is the first investigation conducted by the High-ranking Officials’ Crime Investigation Unit (HCIC) since its launch, will begin this week.

According to the legal community on the 6th, the Criminal Division 25-2 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judges Park Jeong-je, Park Sa-rang, and Kwon Seong-su) has scheduled the first pretrial conference for Superintendent Cho on the 9th at 10 a.m.

The pretrial conference is a preparatory procedure held before the formal trial begins. The court is expected to confirm Superintendent Cho’s position regarding the charges and plan the evidence investigation in preparation for the trial. Unlike the formal trial, the defendant is not obligated to attend, so it is highly likely that Superintendent Cho will not appear in court.

Superintendent Cho was indicted on charges of abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights for unfairly facilitating the special hiring of five dismissed teachers, including those from the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (Jeon-gyo-jo), by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education between October and December 2018.

This case was transferred from the police to the HCIC in May last year, marking the first investigation conducted by the HCIC since its establishment. After the investigation, the HCIC forwarded the case to the prosecution with a recommendation for indictment in September last year, and the prosecution indicted Superintendent Cho without detention.

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