[2024 National Audit] Jeong Geun-sik's Audit Debut... 'Jo Hee-yeon and Vegetarian Waste' Issues

Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon Education Offices National Audit
Questions Expected on Jo Hee-yeon's Innovative Education and Hiring of Dismissed Teachers
New Education Superintendents' Policy Directions Anticipated
Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education Han River Book Disposal Controversy

Jeong Geun-sik, Superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, will attend the National Assembly Education Committee's audit on the 22nd, his fifth day in office. During the audit, questions are expected to focus on the special hiring of dismissed teachers under former Seoul Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon and the controversy over the removal of Han Kang's novel "The Vegetarian."

On that day, the National Assembly Education Committee will hold a government audit starting at 10 a.m., targeting the Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon Offices of Education. Lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties are expected to question Superintendent Jeong about his views on former Superintendent Cho and the direction of Seoul's education policies.

In particular, Superintendent Jeong emphasized during his candidacy that he would continue former Superintendent Cho's innovative education policies. In his inaugural speech, he stated, "We will build on the achievements of innovative education while boldly overcoming its limitations."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The controversy over the special hiring of dismissed teachers by former Superintendent Cho is also expected to be raised again. According to data titled ‘List of current schools and employment periods of 5 dismissed teachers specially hired by Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon’ received by the office of People Power Party lawmaker Jeong Seong-guk from the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, three out of the five are currently employed as teachers at middle and high schools in Seoul. Before his election, Superintendent Jeong stated, "The reinstatement of dismissed teachers is a task of our times."

On the other hand, the opposition party is expected to focus questions on the controversy over the removal of Han Kang’s representative work "The Vegetarian" from the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education. Last year, the Gyeonggi Office of Education received complaints from conservative parent groups requesting the separation and removal of books harmful to youth, and between September and November of the same year, sent official letters to education support offices instructing them to "consult and take action regarding books containing inappropriate controversial content."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In response, the Gyeonggi Office of Education explained that the decision to discard books is autonomously made by each school.

According to data titled ‘2024 School Library Operation Committee Status’ received by the office of Democratic Party lawmaker Jeong Eul-ho from the Gyeonggi Office of Education, this year a public middle school in Yongin, Gyeonggi, and a girls’ middle school in Yeoju restricted access to "The Vegetarian." A girls’ high school in Seongnam reportedly discarded the book citing reasons such as "excessive depiction of obscene postures and promotion of sexual acts and relationships."

Additionally, questions are expected to continue regarding the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education’s inclusion of content emphasizing the installation of ‘gender-neutral restrooms’ in its self-published educational materials.

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