Confusion Over Chosun University’s Main Bank Change, First Since Establishment

Recent Audit Report Criticizes Previous Selection Method 'Private Contract'

Change to Public Bidding... Gwangju Bank Eliminated, Shinhan Bank Selected as 'Preferred Negotiator'

Criticism for Ignoring Regional Cooperation... Opinions on Gwang

The main bank of Chosun University has changed for the first time since its establishment, sparking a lot of controversy. There are concerns that the university has abandoned coexistence with the local community and pursued only immediate profits.

According to Chosun University and local financial circles on the 5th, Chosun University recently selected Shinhan Bank as the preferred negotiator for its main bank.

The main bank handles various financial management and operations for Chosun University, including corporate cards, credit cards linked to student IDs, and tuition and dormitory fees. When combining faculty, undergraduate, and graduate students, the total number is just under 30,000, meaning the financial institution selected as the main bank will attract at least 20,000 new customers.

Chosun University's main bank had been Gwangju Bank for decades since its founding. However, a recent audit pointed out that the selection of the main bank had been done through private contracts, leading to the decision to proceed with an open bidding process. Jeonnam National University is also known to have conducted an open bidding process for its main bank selection last year.

Chosun University formed an evaluation committee and prepared detailed criteria (46 points for quantitative evaluation and 54 points for qualitative evaluation) as it conducted the open bidding for the main bank selection for the first time.

However, controversy arose because the qualitative evaluation, which strongly reflects sponsorship-like contributions, was weighted excessively high compared to local governments. Although Gwangju Bank scored similarly or higher in the quantitative evaluation details, there was a significant difference in the cooperation project expenses (qualitative evaluation) section.

This has led to criticism that Chosun University pursued immediate profits rather than coexistence with the local community. Conversely, there are also voices suggesting that Gwangju Bank may have responded complacently, having enjoyed the status of the main bank as a matter of course.

Regarding this, a Chosun University official stated, "Due to the audit's findings, we had no choice but to switch to an open bidding process," adding, "Since the main bank has not been selected yet and only a preferred negotiator has been designated, it is difficult to comment on the current situation."

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