Daewon International Middle School and Yeonghun International Middle School Win Again in 2nd Trial of 'Specialized Middle School Cancellation Appeal'

Seoul High Court. / Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Daewon International Middle School and Yeonghoon International Middle School won again in the appellate court in an administrative lawsuit filed against the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education's administrative disposition to cancel their designation as specialized middle schools.

On the morning of the 30th, the Administrative Division 1-1 of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judges Shim Junbo, Kim Jongho, Lee Seunghan) ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, Daewon Academy and Yeonghoon Academy, in the second trial of the lawsuit to cancel the cancellation of the specialized middle school designation filed against Seoul Mayor of Education Cho Hee-yeon, just as in the first trial. If the ruling is finalized, the cancellation disposition by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education will lose its effect.

Earlier, in June 2020, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced that it would cancel the designation of these schools as specialized middle schools (International Middle Schools) based on the evaluation of their performance in operating international specialized middle schools.

At that time, Superintendent Cho said, "It damages the essential value of guaranteeing equal educational opportunities to all students of international middle schools at the compulsory middle school education stage and strengthening the public nature of education," adding, "Rather, it is perceived as a hierarchical school system, encouraging private education."

Schools and parents opposed, claiming that the evaluation criteria scores were raised and that the Office of Education's decision not to re-designate the international middle schools reflected a political decision. However, the Ministry of Education agreed with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education's disposition.

Daewon International Middle School and Yeonghoon International Middle School filed a lawsuit, stating, "The education authorities had already reached a conclusion to cancel the designation and conducted a hasty evaluation." Superintendent Cho, who lost in the first trial, appealed but lost again in the appellate court.

Meanwhile, Superintendent Cho also lost all administrative lawsuits filed by eight autonomous private high schools whose designations were canceled in 2019, and after appealing, eventually withdrew the lawsuits.

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