Three Key Issues in Lee Ju-ho Confirmation Hearing: Conflict of Interest, Dad Chance, and Competitive Education

Lee Ju-ho, the nominee for Minister of Education, appeared at the confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly on the 28th and took the witness oath. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

원본보기 아이콘

At the confirmation hearing for Lee Ju-ho, the Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education nominee, the key issues are expected to be conflicts of interest, "Dad Chance," and competitive education. Among these, the controversy over conflicts of interest with EdTech companies that made donations and sponsorships is central.

On the 28th, the National Assembly's Education Committee will hold the confirmation hearing for nominee Lee. It has been about a month since his nomination on the 29th of last month. Lee previously served as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in 2009 and as Minister of the same ministry from 2010 to 2013, and now he has been nominated again as minister after 10 years.

The controversy over collusion with EdTech companies entangled through the Asia Education Association, which Lee established, raises significant concerns about conflicts of interest. The Asia Education Association is a nonprofit corporation where Lee served as chairman after stepping down as minister. At its founding, Mr. A, president of the EdTech Industry Association, contributed 24 million KRW, and Lee contributed 19 million KRW, jointly providing operating assets in a 6:4 ratio. Mr. A operates a franchise math academy and 74 directly managed comprehensive elementary, middle, and high schools. When Lee ran as a preliminary candidate for Seoul Mayor of Education, Mr. A and an executive from another EdTech company each donated 5 million KRW, but the timing of the donations?three days after Lee withdrew (May 8)?raises questions. The Asia Education Association received 298 million KRW in donations from April 2020 to July last year, including 100 million KRW from the EdTech company Ice Cream Edu. The association paid this company 136 million KRW as compensation for lending equipment for six research projects.

Individuals who made donations or sponsorships were also listed as advisory members of the K-Edu Platform, a national project under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration. Concerns arose that companies interested in this project, which involves over 600 billion KRW in funding, supported nominee Lee. In a seminar of the EdTech Industry Association in March last year, Lee stated, "Schools and universities should provide test beds so that EdTech companies can gain competitiveness," and "Education office budgets should be expanded and supported to purchase educational content and platforms at fair prices." Additionally, the association amended its bylaws in February last year to start accepting corporate members, charging an annual fee of 10 million KRW, with two companies registered.

On the 27th, the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union held a press conference in front of the National Assembly opposing the appointment of Lee Ju-ho as Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education.

원본보기 아이콘

The so-called "Dad Chance," where Lee's daughter received a scholarship from a company that was later awarded a ministerial prize, is also a contentious issue. In 2006, when Lee was a member of the National Assembly, his daughter was selected as the first scholarship recipient of Mirae Asset's "Global Investment Expert Training Program," receiving 200 million KRW in scholarships. In 2012, Lee established the "1st Education Donation Award Ministerial Prize" to honor companies and organizations engaged in educational donation activities, and coincidentally, Mirae Asset was the first recipient. Lee also faced allegations of research misconduct for multiple duplicate publications of papers co-authored with his daughter.

Debate is expected over Lee's emphasis on "competitive education," including reviving the nationwide standardized test and maintaining autonomous private high schools (jasago). On his first day after nomination, Lee emphasized "autonomy and responsibility." During the MB administration, when Lee served as Minister of Education, the "High School Diversification 300 Project" was implemented, designating many autonomous private high schools. The academic achievement evaluation was converted to a census evaluation, known as the "nationwide standardized test," which was criticized for fostering competition.

Violations of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act were also revealed. According to an audit request letter received by Representative Seo Dong-yong's office from the KDI Graduate School of International Policy, Lee belatedly reported 26 external lectures in October 2017, 3 in April 2019, and 9 in March 2021, receiving written cautions, verbal warnings, and verbal cautions. Three violations in 2017 and 2018 were also violations of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act. In a December 2019 audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection, 18 unreported external activities were confirmed, resulting in a written warning from the school. The amount involved in these 18 cases totaled 14.9 million KRW. The nominee paid 1.76 million KRW in taxes on income from external activities such as lectures in 2019 and 2021 belatedly on October 5, after his nomination.

In written responses, Lee claimed to "respect the university's verification results" regarding plagiarism allegations against First Lady Kim Geon-hee's thesis, expressed support for reforming the local education finance grant (education grant), although he opposed it when running for education superintendent, and the Ministry of Education responded swiftly after he advocated banning the dispatch of secretaries general to national universities, all of which have sparked controversy.

Education civic groups such as the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (Jeon-gyo-jo) held a press conference on the same day, stating, "If someone who does not understand education, has questions about qualifications, and tries to judge education solely by economic logic is appointed as Minister of Education, it will face national resistance again," and declared, "We oppose the appointment of Lee Ju-ho as Minister of Education, who is turning back the clock on education."

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.